Weasley's The Name
by S. C. Hardy
Summary: The story of Ron and Hermione's twin sons. Their first, fourth, and seventh years at Hogwarts, plus time after graduation. They evolve from playful boys full of energy to mature young adults, ready to take on the world. COMPLETE-it feels good to say that
1. Ron's Surprise

_Hey there, this is S.C. Hardy…long time no see =) My obsession with Harry Potter has come to this…my own little ficcy of my favorite couple: Ron and Hermione. They're just perfect, perfect perfect perfect. Hehe. Anyway, this is just the prologue to a 'next generation' sorta story. It was just something I had to write. So sue me! No, don't really sue me, because I don't own any of the original Harry Potter characters, just their offspring (and probably not even that). Enjoy! Until then…  
  
_

_~~S. C. Hardy_

Weasley's The Name- Prologue 

Hermione woke up with a start, sitting straight up in her bed. She felt the vomit coming up her throat and she ran towards the bathroom, knocking over the coat hanger as she did. 

She didn't bother to shut the door; no one was home in her two-story house. Ron was away for two weeks because of a "special assignment" in America. It was wonderful that the Ministry was giving him such important missions, but…Hermione wanted to see him again, her other half was missing. Especially now that she has a stomach virus and needs him to smile at her and make the pain go away…

She slumped to the floor beside the toilet. It was about midnight and this was the fifth time in the past week that she had vomited for no apparent reason. Food poisoning? Nah, what had she eaten that could do that? She smirked and flipped the toilet seat down. Then she leaned her elbow on top of it and thought. _I'm not going to work tomorrow, I'm going to the doctor_. She pushed her hair behind her ear and stood up, noticing that it pained her to do so. _What's wrong with me_?

_New York City, New York (five hours behind)_

_"_It was no problem, I'm glad I could help_."_ Ron said as he closed the door to his hotel room. "Phew…" He sighed. "Being a Muggle is _hard _work!" 

In his room were all the things he had needed for his assignment (he can't say what it is, top secret, you know). But all he could say is that he has to act like a Muggle until he steps foot into his house.

Ron sat down on his bed, ready to take a nap. All he wanted to do was get on his cell phone and call his wife, but he didn't want to fall asleep on the phone. She had been sick when he left, and during the whole time he was worried about her. 

After taking about an hour for his nap, Ron rubbed his eyes while picked up the phone and dialed his home phone number.

_Ring…ring…ring…ring…_

"He-hello?" A groggy voice answered. Ron slapped himself on his forehead. He had forgotten they were in different time zones. 

"Hey sweetie…" He whispered. "It's me, your run away husband." 

Hermione's eyes shot open and she sat up, smiling. "Ron?! Oh, I'm so happy you called!" He chuckled and rolled onto his back.

"I've wanted to call you all day…are you okay? How's your stomach?" Hermione bit her lip.

"Uh, I don't know. I think it's just a virus, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow." Ron nodded, but didn't fully believe her. 

"You better be alright, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you weren't." Hermione smiled and twirled the cord around her finger.

"I'm fine…okay?" Ron still had his doubts, but he nodded and sighed. 

"I'll let you get your sleep, okay? I just wanted to make sure my girl was alright." Hermione sighed happily. 

"I'm fine. Hey! I got your flowers!" She giggled. "They're _beautiful_!" Ron laughed and blushed.

"All for you, you sexy thing." Hermione blushed and let out a breath.

"Thanks, I guess" And they both laughed. "…When are you coming back?" She asked. Ron sat up grinned.

"Tomorrow I have one last meeting at noon, and then I'm off to the airport and on a plane to see my girl. They won't even let me apparate! Can you believe that?" Hermione giggled again.

"It's okay! So, goodnight sweetie, I'll see you tomorrow." She turned her voice into a whisper. Ron closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"Sweet dreams…I love you…" 

"I love you too…goodnight…" 

The next day, Hermione did go to the doctor and he had taken blood samples and given her a routine checkup. So now, she sat on his cold board, swinging her feet back and forth waiting for him to come back. 

She looked at all his certificates hanging on the wall, and smiled when she saw the signed and framed autographed picture of Harry. He was always a big hit at the office; children and adults would swarm him asking for autographs. 

The door slowly opened and in popped Dr. O'Neill. He smiled that silly smile the young doctor always had on, and tapped the check board he held in his hands. Hermione tilted her head and grinned,

"So, what's up doc?" She giggled and pushed some hair behind her ear. Dr. O'Neill smiled again and sat next to her on the board.

"Well Mrs. Granger-Weasley, I have some good news and some bad news." Hermione's face slumped. 

"Tell me the bad news first." He shrugged and sighed, 

"Well, you should be gaining a lot of weight soon." Hermione raised an eyebrow, totally confused.

"Now why would I want to do that?" She asked, placing her right hand on her hip. Again, the doctor shrugged. 

"First, ask for the good news." Hermione didn't completely understand him, but she nodded.

"Uh…okay, what's the good news?" Dr. O'Neill's face brightened.

"Congratulations! You and Ron are going to be parents!" Hermione's eyes widened to about ten times their normal size, and she began to laugh and cry at the same time.

Hermione raced home and swung her front door open. She closed it and hurried up the stairs to her bedroom. She jumped on her bed and picked up the phone, ready to dial her parents' phone number.

"Wait." She said to herself. Should she call Ron? She bit her lip and hung up the phone. "He'll be home later today, I'll tell him first, tonight."

Ron tapped his fingers roughly on the pull out desk from the seat in front of him. His plane had been circling the airport for about an hour now, because of the traffic on the runways. He looked at his watch and sighed, frustrated. He was already an hour past schedule, he was supposed to be home by now. Ron had the feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was happening at home, and he needed to desperately be there. 

Hermione sighed and leaned her head into her hand. The dinner table had been set with candles and a great chicken dinner…that was now cold. She had planned everything perfectly, set to the time he was supposed to arrive. She stood up and sulked over to the living room, lying on the couch using her hands as pillows. 

He slammed his door and ran up the path that lead to his house. Three and a half hours late! He jingled his keys and placed the correct one in the lock. Turning the knob and pushing the door open, he quietly entered his house. 

The lights were out, except for the main one in the kitchen. Ron flung out his wand, and his bags disappeared to the bedroom. He then noticed that Hermione was sleeping quietly on the couch. He smiled at how angelic his wife looked, and he crept over to her, trying not to wake her, but he did. 

Hermione opened her eyes slightly and a fuzzy figure stood in front of her. She gasped and stood up, only to have the figure's hands be put on her shoulders, and have her realize that it was Ron.

"You scared me!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He took in a deep breath and smelled her hair, sitting down beside her. 

"I'm sorry. My plane was circling for _so_ long! And then they lost some of my luggage! I don't know _how _Muggles can take that, it's so frustrating!" Hermione nodded and just held him close. "You're tired." He said, "Let's go to sleep." She bit her lip,

"Wait…there's something I have to tell you." Ron released his grip around her waist, and looked his wife straight in the eyes. She looked excited and he had absolutely no idea why. 

"What? What happened?" He asked nervously. Hermione took both of his hands in hers and squeezed them,

"You know that _thing_ we have been trying to do for the past three years?" Ron's mind raced as he thought of what she was talking about. Hermione sighed as she thought of another hint; he wasn't getting it. They had been trying to have a baby since they got married, but something just wasn't working. "Um, how about…hey, remember what I said about Percy's son? Gabriel?" Again, Ron thought, and something clicked.

"Oh yeah! How you wanted our baby to be just like him…" Ron paused, and then looked at his wife carefully. "…Go on…" Hermione smiled again,

"Well…we'll find out how much our baby will be like him in eight months!!" Ron's eyes widened and he laughed full heartedly.

"OH MY GOD!" He shouted, and he hugged his wife tightly, and then let go quickly, checking out her stomach. "Oops, I hope that didn't hurt, I'm sorry, it was the rush of the moment." Hermione giggled and hugged him around the neck.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt…uh..._it_." They laughed and sat on the couch in each other's arms. 

~*Eight Months Later*~

"I'm fat." Hermione said softly, cracking a small smile. She stood in front of the mirror in her best friend's living room and was examining her huge stomach. Her large blue dress reminded her of a sail on a boat, and she just wanted to cry. Ginny (who's house they were in) sighed and stood next to her, looking in the mirror. It was Saturday, and the young woman was still in her pink pajamas.

Hermione stayed at Harry and Ginny's house while Ron was at work, incase she went into labor while he was away. The two were very happy to be of so much help, and they couldn't wait for the baby to come. 

"You're nine months pregnant, what the hell do u expect?" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione giggled and rubbed her stomach. 

"I've forgotten what it was to be thin." She looked at her friend. "Tell me about it? Please?" She asked with her eyes pleading. Ginny just laughed and pushed Hermione's head slightly.

"You're nuts, you know that?" Ginny giggled. Hermione laughed, and followed her friend into the kitchen. There, Harry was making some sort of cake.

"Mmm…" Hermione said, smelling the air. "What is that I smell?" She said peering into the oven. Harry laughed and pushed Hermione's hand away with a spatula (it was reaching for the oven's handle).

"That's a cake for my class, no touchy." Hermione frowned and sat on one of the high stools next to the counter. 

Ginny rolled her eyes and hugged her husband from the back around his waist. Harry was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, and his class had taken some, er, "blackmail worthy" pictures of him. So, for some odd reason, to get the pictures, they asked him to make them three-layer "Muggle" cake. His class of sixth years was odd.

"Whatever." Hermione sighed. Ginny let go of Harry and sat on another stool, tapping her fingers.

"_Hey!_" Ginny exclaimed. "What are some of the names for the baby?" Hermione rolled her eyes and patted her stomach.

"I've told you them a _million_ times!" Ginny shrugged and Harry came from behind her,

"So? We want to hear them again, we're gonna be its godparents!"

"I can't believe you didn't get a sonogram! I bought all these little skirts, it better be a girl!" Ginny pouted. "I want it to be a girl so I can play dolls with her!" Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry sighed and smacked the spatula on the table.

"'Mione! Hurry up and tell us names!" Hermione raised her hands in defense.

"Okay! Sheesh!" She thought for a moment. "Well, Ron didn't want his son to be named after him, so we decided on Anthony or Jacob. We couldn't decide between them." 

"What about a girl?" Ginny asked, playing with her fingernails. 

"Ah, I love the name Emily." Ginny cooed at the name and Harry rolled his eyes.

Hermione nodded happily, and then groaned, for her stomach had started to throb. 

"Oh, ow…" She whispered, grabbing her stomach and bending over. Ginny and Harry gasped and stood up to help their friend.

"Uh, 'Mione? You just wet yourself." Harry said. Ginny slapped her husband in the back of the head.

"NO! Her water just broke!!" Harry gasped and covered his mouth. 

"Oh geez! Oh geez!." He kept repeating. Hermione just groaned; the pain was tremendous. 

"Don't worry 'Mione, we'll get you to the hospital." Ginny said, as calmly as she could. 

"And I'll get Ron, oh…where are my keys?" Harry said, taking Hermione's hand in hers. Hermione screamed out in pain,

"APPARATE YOU IDIOT! AHHH!!!" 

Thud thud thud thud thud…

Ron jumped up from his seat in his office and ran out the door. He saw his best friend sitting on the bottom of the staircase. 

"Harry?" Ron said, picking his friend up off the floor. Harry shook his head and pushed his glasses up his nose

"Ron! Hermione's water just broke, Ginny's taking her to the hospital n-n-now! She's gonna drive her, cause you know, the doctors said not to apparate while pregnant, you know you know you know?!" He babbled, clearly in some sort of daze. Ron stood in shock. 

He was in his office, which was twenty minutes away from where his wife was, and ten away from the hospital. He ran back to his office and got his jacket, with Harry right behind him. The two then apparated to the hospital, on a cold December day.

Ron and Harry had been in the hospital a full fifteen minutes when Ginny and Hermione wobbled in. The grimace on Hermione's face could've killed Ron, for it looked like she was in agonizing pain. Ginny looked up and spotted Ron and her eyes widened. 

"Would it kill you to help?!" She exclaimed. Ron snapped out of his trance and ran over to them, putting Hermione's arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry babe, I'm here." Hermione looked at him angrily.

"Where were you?!" She almost screeched. Ron was alarmed at the sudden out burst, but Ginny shook her head in the background.

"It's the pain talkin'. She called me f*ckin' w*ore in the car!" Ron's eyes widened and he laughed nervously.

"Could we get a doctor please?!" Hermione yelled, grabbing onto Ron's shoulder and squeezing _very_ hard. 

"Ow, oh honey," He said, trying to pull her nails out of his shoulder. "There's a, ow, nurse coming right now! Owwww!" A nurse wheeled up a wheel chair and Hermione sat into it roughly. 

"Whoa," the nurse said, as she started to wheel her off. "This baby's coming out now!" As they started to move, Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and held it tightly.

"Don't leave me, don't let go." She said through the tears that were falling down her cheeks. Ron nodded and quickened his pace so that he would be by her side.

"I will _never_ let you go." 

~*~Three Hours Later*~

Ginny, Harry, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. and Mrs. Granger and all of their wives were sitting in the waiting room. It was _very _crowded in the small room. The children were left in the day care, even though some were old enough to stay home by themselves.

"Didn't they say that the baby was coming out as soon as we got here?" Harry wondered out loud, causing everyone in the room to worry. 

"Damn, that baby must know how ugly his father is." Fred said, snickering. His wife nudged him as George continued,

"Yeah, it's too scared to come out!" The group laughed as the white door opened and revealed Ron, in full doctor's attire.

"They're here!" He exclaimed. The group stood up and applauded, and then Ginny yelled,

"WAIT!" The group grew silent. "_They_?" Everyone turned towards Ron, and he smiled brightly. 

"Well, since she didn't have a sonogram done, we didn't know what to expect…and out came two beautiful baby boys! Anthony Remus and Jacob Arthur!" Again, the group cheered and hugged each other and the brand new father.

Hermione sat on the bed holding her son, Anthony who had very little red hair. Ron was walking around the room with Michael, making silly faces. Michael had a lot of red curly hair and was wide-awake, while Anthony was fast asleep.

"It was all worth it, all the pain and time put into these two." They laughed and Ron sat on the bed with her. 

"It's going to be a lot of fun." He said softly, knocking heads with the proud mother of his children. She nodded and sighed softly. 

"Now, we need to do this again, so Ginny won't have to return those skirts." Hermione giggled. Ron smiled brightly and kissed her softly, in their quiet room.

Of course, it wouldn't be quiet for long. There was a soft knock on the door, and before either of them could answer, it swung open, and a sea of friends swarmed in.

All the women rushed up to the side that was free next to Hermione, their eyes on the bundle in her arms. Hermione nervously placed Anthony in Molly's arms, and watched as tears streaked down her mother-in-law's cheeks. Molly then passed Anthony to Mrs. Granger, and she too cried.

"He's absolutely precious!" She exclaimed, waking up the sleeping baby. He stared up at her with wide eyes, and then just yawned, leaning into his grandmother. 

Ron stood up with Jacob, showing him off to his brothers, father, and Harry. The baby stared up at all of the men. 

"Well, no fear, he doesn't look like Ron." Charlie laughed, taking the baby out of Ron's arms. They all laughed as Arthur Weasley placed an arm around his youngest son, giving him a strong sideways hug.

Ron looked down at his father (because he was a good five inches taller than him) and smiled. "They're your cutest grandchildren, right?" He joked, avoiding swats from his brothers. 

Arthur laughed and just smiled brightly, never getting tired of the excitement of a new grandchild. 

"I can't wait for these little critters to get home," Fred said, taking Jacob carefully. "My two are going to have a field day." Ron's eyes widened and shook his head.

"They better not!" He exclaimed. The room roared with laughter and everyone took turns holding the twins. 

Epilogue- Three Years Later

"_Happy Birthday to you!" _They sang, as the twins tried to blow out their candles. Everyone was in the living room of the Burrow, as the twins celebrated their third birthday. 

Anthony blew softly as Jacob basically spit all over everyone in the room. Hermione picked up the little spitball and blew out the candles herself. Ron took Anthony and hugged him tightly.

"Presents!" Little Fred said. He was George's oldest son at the age of five. Little George, Fred's oldest son, nodded his head vigorously, picking up a present that seemed to be…

"Is that _moving_?" Katie asked. She was Fred's wife and she frowned as she took the present away from her son. He pouted and reached for the box, but Katie kept it away. 

"Awww…come on Aunt Katie, it's from both of us!" Little Fred exclaimed, coming over to his cousin and aunt. She shook her head, and grabbed her husband's arm as they went off to examine the present. Little Fred and George followed, complaining.

The family laughed, and Hermione and Ron allowed the twins to open their presents, as long as they didn't move. 

Anthony and Jacob received a wide variety of gifts. From Hermione's parents, they received "My First Tooth Brush Set" (which was quickly dropped to the floor by Jacob) and from Ron's parents, they got a set of mini brooms that floated just a foot over the ground. 

"Aw Mum!" Ron exclaimed, checking out the brooms. "These are awesome, you never got _us _anything like this!" Molly laughed, smacking her son on the back.

"And risk Fred and George knocking you off? You must be mad!" The room laughed again. 

Hermione and Ron put the twins down so they could run off and play with their cousins. Jacob's curly hair was _incredibly _unruly, no matter how hard Hermione tried. He had the personality of his twin uncles, and his parents could not wait for the day when Hogwarts received news of _another _set of Weasley twins. 

Anthony, on the other hand, was very quiet, normally just being dragged around by his brother. His red hair was fair like Ron's, and his eyes were always wide with wonder. He loved reading with his mother, and Ron feared that he was going to be a huge bookworm like Hermione. 

"Don't run!" Hermione shouted, watching as they raced towards the back door. Anthony immediately slowed his pace, but Jacob didn't even bother to look back. 

"Oh, calm down 'Mione, they're just playing with their cousins…" Ron's voice trailed off and he quickly grabbed his wife's wrist. "Come on, let's go watch them." 

Outside, the picnic table was covered with plates and party hats. Balloons and bubbles floated freely around the yard, and sparks popped in the air around the children. 

Michael and Jason, Charlie's sons, rode high above their cousins, on their rusty Firebolts. Michael was a third year, and Jason was a second year at Hogwarts, both in Gryffindor. From their brooms, they were throwing Chocolate Frogs, causing the little girls to scream. 

Juliet, Bill's only child, had a Chocolate Frog land on top of her head, and she screamed with terror. She too was in Gryffindor, a fourth year. Little Fred and George both laughed hysterically, until one of the frogs jumped on Fred's back, and he too began to scream. 

Percy's son, Gabriel, was shrieking orders at Michael and Jason, pointing a very stiff finger at them. All it got him was a Chocolate Frog on the forehead. The second year Gryffindor was _not _happy. His little sister, Mary, laughed hysterically, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind. In two years, she too would be at Hogwarts. Gabriel sent her an evil stare, but then he laughed too. 

"Stop doing that!" Charlie yelled at his sons. "Come on you two, you're old enough to know not to do that!" The two boys groaned and landed near their father, who just rolled his eyes. 

Fred and George laughed hysterically at the antics of their nephews, and applauded. George's wife, Alicia, rolled her eyes as she finished tying her daughter's long blonde hair into a high ponytail. Annie Weasley, who was four, smiled at her mother, and then ran off, just to tackle her brother to the ground. 

Brian Weasley, Little George's three-year old brother, saw what Annie had did between the loose strands of his long brown hair and he too tackled his older brother. The four laughed uncontrollably, lying on the ground and staining their jeans with grass. 

Hermione and Ron sat on the bench, holding hands, as they watched the antics of their _many _nieces and nephews. Ginny and Harry were on the other side of the table, holding their first child, a year and a half old little girl. She had bright green eyes and very thick red hair. 

"Hey there Lily!" Hermione exclaimed, waving at the little baby. Lily's eyes widened at the sound of her voice, and she smiled, causing everyone to "Aww…"

"Hey, where's Emily?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione and Ron. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think she is?" He said sarcastically. "With Mum, of course." As if on cue, Molly Weasley appeared in the doorway with a small pink bundle in her arms. 

Hermione and Ron smiled brightly as she came over, leaning down so everyone could see the baby. She was only half a year old, but she was already very emotional. Emily loved her grandmother almost as much as her parents, and she loved when Molly held her. Which of course, caused Molly to spoil the little girl rotten.

"Here you go, Hermione." Molly said sweetly, placing her youngest grandchild into Hermione's arms. The proud mother smiled brightly, and held her daughter close. 

"Hey Emily, how are you today?" Hermione said sweetly, looking into her daughter's hazel eyes. She had bright red hair like her brothers and most of her cousins, but it fell into thick curls on top of her head.

Ron looked over his wife's shoulder and began to make faces at his youngest. Emily did indicate that she noticed her father, because her eyes locked on him immediately. "Come here my little girl." Ron said, reaching around Hermione and taking Emily out of her arms. 

He held her close, rocking her softly, and Emily reached up towards his face. Ron just smiled and continued staring at her. Hermione watched the two, and she absolutely adored the look of love that was pouring out of his eyes. She was sure that Emily was going to be 'daddy's little girl' and that Ron was going to be so in love with her that she was going to get away with _anything_. 

Behind them, Anthony and Jacob snuck up to their mother, and then they began tickling her. Hermione squealed and turned around, snatching up her boys in one quick swoop. The two laughed hysterically as Hermione's fingers traveled all along their bodies, finding their worst tickle spots. 

"How cute!" Ginny exclaimed. She nudged Harry in the side and looked at him. "Harry! Take a picture!" 

Harry fumbled with the bag on the table until he found his camera. With out a warning, he snapped a picture of the family, and it flew out of the front immediately. The twins rubbed their eyes because of the flash, and Hermione caught the picture before it reached the table. The family waited for it to develop, and when it did, Ron and Hermione smiled brightly. 

Hermione had her hands tickling Anthony's sides and the smile on his face reached his red ears. Jacob was standing on the bench behind her, ready to grab her shoulders, with a mischievous smile. Ron held Emily against his body with one arm, and with the other, he tickled Anthony's stomach. 

"Wonderful picture Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up at her friend. He smiled brightly and pushed his glasses up his nose. 

"No problem, perfect picture for the perfect family." He said nicely. Ginny nodded at the three as Harry sat down. 

"You guys are just too cute." She laughed, giving Lily to Harry. 

Ron and Hermione just shook their heads.

"Nah, we're not perfect." Ron said, poking Emily's nose. "But we're perfectly fine with that." 

The End. J 


	2. Introducing the New Weasley Twins

I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters (except their offspring, but probably not even that)

Weasley's The Name

_(okay, I already posted this…but I changed a part of it because it's going to be vital for the later chapters…sorta)_

"JACOB ARTHUR WEASLEY!" Hermione Granger-Weasley screamed from her kitchen. Her curly brown hair was pulled into a very unruly bun, and her blue spring dress fit snuggly around her curves. 

Ron sat at the table, squeezing his eyes shut at the sound of his wife's high-pitched voice. He wore a tight red t-shirt and khaki cargo pants, his red hair short. Emily Weasley covered her ears, waiting for her mother's next scream. Her red curls bounced on her shoulders as she peeked one eye at her mother.

"COME HERE _RIGHT _NOW!" The woman of the house screamed.

A couple of thuds could be heard coming down the stairs, and in the doorway of the kitchen appeared a rather tall soon to be eleven-year old. He smiled brightly, his two front teeth a bit larger than they should've been.

"Yes Mum?" He said sweetly, putting his hands behind his back. Hermione placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Jacob's eyes widened, he knew the stare she was giving him. Ron and Emily tried to hold their laughter in, but Hermione sent them the look as well, and they stopped immediately.

"_Where's_ your brother?" She asked, though it sounded more like a statement. Jacob's face became confused at the question, and somewhat relieved.

"I really have _no _idea. Why?" Jacob said, without stuttering. Hermione narrowed her eyes. 

"_Because _he was supposed to be at Uncle Harry's house twenty minutes ago to pick up some other books, and Harry just popped in and asked where he was." Hermione smirked. "Now _I know _for a fact that he did not go through Floo Powder because I was sitting in the living room in front of the fireplace. That _means _he never left this house. Where is he?" 

At that, a thud was heard above them, and Hermione sent Jacob a nasty look.   
  
"If I find him tied up, you will _not _get that owl, do you hear me?" She growled. Ron stood up as well, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Hermione stormed up the stairs and he stayed with his son.

"Just tell me what you did, so I can tell ya how she's gonna react." He asked softly, knowing that his son was up to no good. Ron knew better than getting angry, because Hermione was already the Queen of Anger when it came to Jacob. It was incredible how he reminded the two of Fred and George; it also scared them. 

"Dad, seriously, I didn't do anything to Anthony, I _thought _Mum was screaming about those headless dolls of Emily's…" 

"WHAT?!" Emily shrieked, rushing past her father and brother and up the stairs. Jacob snickered and Ron grabbed his ear.

"Ow!" He squealed. Ron rolled his eyes and the two trudged up the stairs. 

There was another thud, and Hermione stopped in front of Anthony's room. Due to the conflicting personalities of the twins, they needed to be separated. Jacob's room was right across the hallway, the door singed from his many…er…experiments. 

Hermione knocked softly on her son's door, and waited for a response. She heard what sounded like a scramble to the door, and then it slowly creaked open. Anthony's head peered out and he smiled shyly. 

"Hullo Mum." He said softly. Hermione's temper eased as she realized her son didn't look like he was in any pain.

"G'day Anthony, what are you doing in there?" She asked nicely, pushing the door open. 

Anthony wrung his hands together and shrugged his shoulders. 

"I was um, studying, actually." He said softly, following his mother to his desk. Hermione picked up a rather large red book that was called The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by: Quentin Trimble. It was flipped open near the very end. Pieces of parchment were scattered around his desk, all containing notes of various techniques. Another large book lay on the floor. 

"Oh Anthony, did you read all of this today? Hedwig just delivered it this morning!" Her son's face reddened to the shade of his hair. 

"Well, I thought that since Uncle Harry _is _the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, that, well, I should know everything before I see him. Plus, I _still_ have a chapter or two left, I didn't read it _all_."

Hermione smiled softly at her studious son. Yes, she was no one to say that this was studying a bit_ too_ much, but now that she saw how nervous and anxious her son was, she didn't want him to be _exactly _like her. 

"If you keep this up, you'll be sorted in to Ravenclaw, you smart little thing." She chuckled, putting her arms around his shoulders. 

Anthony looked away from her, his face reddening even more. 

"Would…would you and Dad be _mad _if I was put into Ravenclaw?" He asked softly, not daring to look up at his mother. Hermione's eyes widened at the question, and she really didn't know what to say. 

"Oh, oh, er, no sweetheart. If the Sorting Hat wants to put you in Ravenclaw, then go to Ravenclaw." She sat down on his bed, and pulled her son on her knee. He was definitely getting too big for this; he and Jacob had inherited Ron's height. "Do you _want _to be in Ravenclaw, Anthony?" 

Her son fidgeted and leaned his head on Hermione's shoulder.

"I don't know, Mum. I really don't think I'm brave like Jacob, or Uncle Harry and you and Dad…oh, I'm going to be the first Weasley _not _in Gryffindor!" Tears streaked down his cheeks and he buried his head in his mother's shoulder. 

"Oh, sweetie, there's nothing to worry about!" She ran her hand through his curly red hair. "You could start a new tradition, show the world that Weasley's are not only brave, but intelligent as well!" 

"Who ever said we weren't intelligent?" The two looked up and saw Ron leaning on the doorframe, smiling softly. "Ravenclaw, huh?" He asked. Anthony blushed, and nodded softly. "That sounds great." 

Jacob peered in from behind his father, trying to see what they were talking about. 

"What's going on here?" He asked, but Ron put a strong arm around his son's shoulders, and kept him at his side. 

"Nothing, did you fix Emily's dolls?" Ron asked, staring down at his troublesome son. Jacob rolled his eyes and nodded. 

"Emily's _dolls_?" Hermione asked, looking from Jacob to Ron. The two then blushed and just shook their heads.

August 29th

"Aw Mum, do we _have _to get all these books? Can't Anthony and I share?" Jacob moaned as his mother placed two copies of - The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1 by: Miranda Goshawk on the already high pile in his arms. 

"You don't know if you and your brother are going to be in the same classes, now do you?" Hermione said, exasperated with her son. 

"Oh, he's going to be in Gryffindor." Jacob said knowingly. Hermione sent him a sly look. 

"And _how _do you know that?" She asked, peering over the shelves for the next book. Jacob shrugged and followed his mother. 

"Because he's my twin, we _have _to be in the same house." He said with confidence. Hermione shook her head as she reached up to grab A History of Magic by: Bathilda Bagshot. 

"That's not true Jake. When I was at school, one of my roommates, Parvati, had a twin, Padma. Padma was in Ravenclaw." 

Jacob's eyes widened softly. 

"Oh." He said simply. His blue eyes fell to the floor as he continued to follow his mother. Hermione watched him out of the corner of his eyes, knowing that Jacob would truly miss his brother. 

"No worries, you'll have a few classes together, if it does happen." She said, looking at him lovingly. 

"Okay." Was all he said. He followed his mother around a little more until he found a table to drop them all off. His mother became involved in a conversation with the bookkeeper, and she basically ignored the fact that Jacob had drifted towards the back of the store. 

He wandered into the section of Quidditch books, where he stared dreamily at the many books about the numerous techniques to the sport. The young Weasley could not wait for the day when he could try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He often dreamed about being the team's Keeper, like his father, and even one day becoming Captain. 

"Omph." A grunt was heard near the end of the aisle. Jacob turned to see a silvery blonde boy was lying on the ground, with a huge blue book on his chest. The boy turned to him, his eyes pleading for help.

Jacob came over slowly and groaned as he heaved the book of off the boy. 

"Merlin! What were you doing with such a big book?" Jacob exclaimed, wiping the dust off of the cover, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by: Phyllida Spore. "You need it for Herbology or something?" He asked, sitting down and flipping through the pages of the book. 

The blonde boy sat up and shrugged. He rubbed his pointy nose and stared at Jacob with his light blue eyes.

"I don't exactly _need _it, but it's my favorite subject, and I thought I'd impress Professor Sprout with some cool facts. Thanks for helping me. My brothers…well, they kind of hate Professor Sprout…_and _McGonnagal…_and_ all the other teachers besides Snape." 

"So, what year are you in?" Jacob asked, closing the book and pushing it towards the boy. He didn't understand why his brother's hated all those teachers. 

"I'm in second year, my name's Malcolm, by the way." He put out his hand, and after a second of debating, Jacob shook his hand. 

"I'm Jacob, this will be my first year at Hogwarts. I'm really excited, but my mum is making me get all these books…I hope there's time for fun." He smirked and sighed. 

"No worries mate, it isn't as hard as the older kids make it out to be, they're just trying to scare you. Which house are you think you're going to be in?" Malcolm asked, struggling as he tried to stand up with the book, but he couldn't. Jacob quickly stood up and grabbed it as well, and the two started down the aisle. 

"Hopefully Gryffindor, like the rest of my family." Jacob said, as they finally made it to the tables. Malcolm dropped his side of the book, almost crushing Jacob's fingers. 

"Oh, you're a Weasley then?" Malcolm said, almost terrified. Jacob rubbed his throbbing fingers. 

"Yeah…" He said simply. Malcolm took a deep breath, and then picked up the large book in one quick swoop. Jacob knew that he was going to have a lot of trouble with the book, so he reached out to help, by Malcolm pulled away. "What's your deal?" Jacob spat, clearly annoyed. Malcolm just turned away.

"I'm sorry. Thanks for helping me, but if my brothers see I'm talking to you, well, we're both in trouble." And he rushed off to the front of the store, almost dropping the book twice. 

Jacob watched him and just shook his head. He sat down at the table with all of his books and waited for his mother to finish her conversation. 

Ron walked with Anthony on his left, and Emily holding his right hand, down the streets of Diagon Alley. They headed towards the Pet Store in search of an owl and maybe another creature. 

"Is Pig gonna get jealous?" Emily asked, looking around at the variety of owls. Ron laughed and picked his daughter up. 

"Probably, but that owl's been nutty for its entire life, it won't be a change." The two continued down the owl aisle, while Anthony slipped into "Furry Creatures."

He saw rats and hamsters, mice and rabbits, and at the end, he saw what he had been looking for: the cats. Since his mother's cat Crookshanks died when he was five, Anthony had always wanted another cat. He loved the way they seemed devoted to their owners, and just the fact that it could be _his _pet. Jacob hated cats. 

There were about nine cages of cats, three rows that were three cages high. Anthony peered into all of them, and the cats hissed. He backed away quickly, but then realized that one of the cats _wasn't _making any attempt to hurt him. In the bottom right hand corner, a tiny gray cat peered up at him, with crystal blue eyes. Immediately, Anthony wanted that one. 

He bent down to stare the cat in its eyes, and he put his finger in the cage to scratch its ear. The cat purred, and leaned into the bars of the cage. Anthony's eyes twinkled with excitement.

"I'll be _right_ back!" He exclaimed, running off to find his father. 

When he turned a corner, Anthony ran right into a blonde girl. 

"Oh!" They both said, falling to the floor. Anthony rubbed his head and looked up at the girl he ran into. She was about his age, with light blue eyes and long silvery blonde hair. Her nose was a little pointy, but it was a small detail. Anthony immediately felt his face flush as he stood up. "I'm sorry, let me help you up." He put his hand out, and the girl took it, standing up as well.

"Thank you." She said sweetly. "My name's Taylor, what's yours?" She pulled her hair back behind her head and made it into a ponytail. 

"I'm Anthony Weasley." He said shyly. Taylor's eyes widened softly, but then softened. 

"I should've known! So, which Weasley?" She asked, giggling. Anthony smiled as the two began to walk towards the front of the store.

"My dad's Ron, and me mum is Hermione Granger. I reckon' you know about them?" 

Taylor nodded excitedly. "Of course! Who doesn't?" The two reached the front of the store, and saw that Ron and Emily were entranced with a white owl with black spots over its wings. Ron looked over and smiled at his son and the girl he was standing with.

"Ant! Come over here and check this one out! She's _gorgeous_!" Anthony sent a smile towards Taylor, and then joined his father and sister. 

The owl was grand, and once Anthony truly laid eyes on it, he knew that this was the owl for he and Jacob. Emily twirled one of her red curls around her finger as she stared in awe at the bird. 

"Taylor! What have I told you about running off?" A shrilly voice called. The three Weasley's looked back and saw a rather large woman grabbing Taylor by the arm. The little girl sent Anthony a weak smile, and then followed her mother out the door. 

"Ugh, I didn't know something so ugly could reproduce a cute little girl." Ron snickered, hugging Emily tighter. The little girl hit her father on the arm, and he laughed. Anthony watched Taylor and her mother through the window until they disappeared in the crowd.

"Do you know her?" Anthony asked, looking up at his father. Ron nodded, picking the owl's cage up and walking up to the counter.

"Yeah, she graduated with me, Pansy Parkinson. A Slytherin, yuck." 

Anthony nodded, realizing that Taylor would end up in Slytherin. He sighed, and followed his father to the counter. He heard a meow, and he immediately remembered about the little cat.

"Oy! Dad! Can I get a cat? I found the _perfect _one!" He exclaimed. Emily's eyes widened and she wiggled out of her father's arms, joining Anthony. 

"Ooh! I want to see the kitty!" She squealed, holding her brother's hand. Ron rolled his eyes and nodded, taking the owl cage off of the counter and following his two children. 

Hermione and Jacob sat in the Leaky Cauldron, sipping some drinks and looking through the books. She had taken her son to get fitted for his robes and just bought two of the same robe; he and Anthony were both the same size. 

A bell rang, and in walked the rest of their family. Hermione and Jacob's eyes widened as Ron walked in with the owl cage and Anthony came in with a small cat. 

"How precious!" Hermione squealed as they came over to the table. Anthony placed the cat on the table, and it began to stroll towards Hermione. She immediately scooped it up in her arms and hugged it.

Jacob gagged at the cat, and brought his attention towards the owl. 

"_This_," He said, pointing to the owl, "Is great. Can I name em'?" He asked. Ron shrugged, Emily nodded, and so did Anthony. 

"As long as I get to name the cat." Anthony said, reaching for the gray kitten. Jacob smiled widely and bit his lip.

"Hmm…I'ma call you…wait, is it a boy or girl?" He asked. Ron laughed and took a seat next to Hermione.

"It's a girl, sorry Jake." He laughed. Jacob rolled his eyes and put his elbows on the table, leaning his head into his hands. 

"Hmm…a girl huh? Okay…her name is Chudley." He smiled brightly at his father, who had on the same goofy grin.

"Ewww!" Emily squealed, crawling onto her mother's lap. "That's a _boy's _name!" Hermione nodded, rolling her eyes and her husband. 

"Come on Jacob, give it a girl's name." His mother said. Jacob huffed and thought again. Another smile slid onto his face,

"Chudlina." Ron roared with laughter, and the others began to giggle as well. 

"Oy, fine fine." Hermione laughed, hugging Emily. "Anthony? What are you going to name the cat? It's a boy." 

Anthony watched as the kitten stalked a fly on the floor. He jumped, barely missing it. Then, a shiny Knot underneath a table caught his attention, and he pounced it, trying to figure out what it was.

"It seems to like adventure." He noted. Anthony smiled and said, "His name is Marauder." 

Ron and Hermione smiled, and Jacob laughed. Emily didn't get the joke, but she did know that something was funny, so she laughed too. Marauder looked up at the laughing family, and jumped onto Anthony's lap, purring. He smiled and rubbed its back, happy that the pet liked him so.

September 1st

At King's Cross it was almost a family reunion. Anthony and Jacob's cousin, Brian, was also starting his first year at Hogwarts. His brother, George, was in his third year, and the two boys were sword fighting with their wands. Katie quickly grabbed both of them by the neck of their robes, stopping their antics. There were other Weasley's roaming the platform, but at the moment, they couldn't be seen.

"Hullo Hermione!" Fred called, pulling Brian over and away from his brother. He looked down at the twins and smiled brightly. "You guys ready for some mischief?" 

Jacob nodded excitedly, and Anthony grinned. Hermione glared at Fred, but then laughed. 

"Please Fred, don't talk to them like that, I don't want _any _owls home." Fred smiled and rolled his eyes. 

"Where's my baby brother?" He asked, looking behind Hermione. She giggled and looked back as well. Ron and Emily had been having some trouble getting to the platform because whenever he stepped near it, Chudlina would start squawking. 

"He'll be here shortly, I'm counting the minutes until he realizes to put a silencing charm on that crazy owl." 

Fred laughed and nodded. "They'll miss the train if you wait for him!" Hermione nodded and then bit her lip.

"Oy, you're right, I should go and help him." She kissed both of her sons on the forehead, and rushed back to the platform. 

Fred laughed hysterically, and left to find his wife and other son. Brian and the twins said their hellos, and then Brian pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. 

"Look what George gave me as a 'Welcome to Hogwarts' present!" He exclaimed. It was as if it had come out of a history book, the Marauder's Map. 

"Isn't that Uncle Harry's?" Anthony whispered as the three surrounded it. Brian nodded excitedly. 

"He gave it to Juliet, the first Weasley back into Hogwarts, and then she kept passing it on to all of us. It's like a family heirloom or something, isn't it amazing?" The twins nodded excitedly, and Jacob looked over his shoulder. 

"Ooh! Hide it, Mum's coming over." Brian's eyes widened and he took out his wand and whispered,

"Mischief managed!" And he quickly stuck it into his robes. Hermione soon joined them with a rather tired looking Ron and Emily. Chudlina continued to squawk, despite Hermione's attempts at a silencing charm. Emily continued to send the owl dirty looks. 

"She's hurting my ears!" The little girl squealed. Ron nodded softly and picked Emily up.

"Mine too, Red." He moaned, throwing a blanket over the cage. Ron pointed his wand at all the luggage and the bird, and soon it disappeared. "FINALLY!" 

The group laughed, and soon the whistle of the Hogwarts Express screamed. 

Brian ran off to find his parents, and Hermione wrapped her arms around both of her sons. Tears brimmed at her eyes as she looked at her boys. 

"You two be good! Study, do all your homework, and please don't go sneaking around at night, okay?" She cried. The two nodded, hugging and kissing her on the cheeks. Hermione couldn't take the emotion and she backed away from them, smiling brightly. Katie joined her, crying as well. 

Ron kneeled down in front of his boys, Emily still in his arms. Their sister combed her hand through each of their mops of red hair. They smiled and then looked at their father.

"Don't do _anything _your mother just said." Ron said, smiling brightly. The boys laughed, and hugged him around the neck. "Now, go blow up some toilets, will ya? I'll see you _soon._" He winked and then messed up their hair. He pushed them towards the train, and they ran to the closest open door. 

Ron went back to Hermione and hugged her tightly, while Emily waved goodbye to her brothers. Hermione was crying hysterically, and Ron just laughed, as the train pulled away. 


	3. Let's Get Sorted!

I don't own any of JK Rowling's character (just their offspring, and probably not even that…)

Weasley's The Name- Chapter 3

Anthony, Jacob, and Brian found an empty compartment, and as soon as they shut the door, the opened the Marauder's Map by saying,

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Immediately, a map of Hogwarts appeared, and various dots running around.

"I guess they're getting ready, huh?" Jacob said, watching a dot that said 'Peeves' bouncing around a room. "What the heck is wrong with him?" He wondered. 

"That's Peeves the Poltergeist." Anthony said knowingly. The two other boys stared at him oddly. Anthony blushed. "I read it in Hogwarts, A History- New Edition, didn't you guys read _anything_?" 

"No." They both answered. Anthony rolled his eyes and sunk back into his seat, having Marauder jump onto his lap. 

There was knock at the door, and when it opened, it revealed a sea of red. Brian quickly hid the map as Fred, George, Annie, and Mary all came in. Mary the oldest, smirked at the younger boys as she touched her 'Head Girl' badge.

"Don't want to be seen with your cousins, eh?" She laughed, sitting on the other side of the compartment. George grabbed Brian into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles into his brother's skull.

"Owwww!" Brian wailed, trying to knock his brother off of him. The others laughed, when Mary finally pulled George off of him. 

Fred jumped next to Anthony, causing Marauder to flop out of his lap. Annie scooped down to pick him up, the second year Gryffindor always had an infatuation with animals.

"He's so cute!" She exclaimed as Marauder played with one of her pigtails. Anthony smiled and took Marauder back.

"Did you guys hear about the fair at Hogsmeade this year? _Year _round!" Fred said, really looking at only George and Mary. The two nodded, smiles spreading across their faces. "It's going to be _so _much fun!" 

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, getting very interested. Fred rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Doesn't apply to _you_, you're only in _first_ year. First and second years aren't _allowed_ at Hogsmeade." He snickered. George also laughed while the younger kids groaned. Mary shook her head. 

"Not this year, Fred, second and first years will be able to go to Hogsmeade twice this year, only because of the fair." 

"Yay!" The younger ones cheered. Fred and George groaned, thinking about having to take their siblings and cousins along with them. 

There was another knock at the door, and this time, a tall dark haired boy stood in front of them, leaning against the doorframe. He seemed very strong under his robes, and the way his hair fell in front of his eyes gave off a very mysterious vibe. Mary stood up immediately, blushing.

"Hey Michael." She said sweetly. He smiled at her and entered the compartment, smiling at the others. 

"Want to see my new robes?" He asked softly, winking. Mary's face blushed even deeper, and nodded, waving goodbye to the rest of her family and leaving the room with Michael.

"Oh, that's her boyfriend, he's _so_ wicked." Annie said, blushing as well. "The Quidditch team captain, he is. He plays Keeper, he's absolutely _amazing_." 

"Ah, you just think he's cute." Fred said, nudging his sister. Annie's blush deepened as she shook her head. The boys laughed, leaving the only girl to bury her head in her hands, laughing as well. 

"Well, whom should we watch out for?" Anthony asked, rubbing Marauder behind the ears.

"Just Slytherins, really. Everyone else seems to get along just fine, but they…they like to keep to themselves." George explained. "Oh, but specifically, stay away from the Malfoys. There are three of them, the head boy, Stephen, a fourth year, Richard, and a second year, Malcolm. They're especially vicious to um…" His face reddened as he looked away from Anthony and Jacob. The others did as well, their faces burning.

"Especially to what?" Jacob asked, clearly confused. Anthony rolled his eyes and nudged him in the gut. 

"We're half…you know, _mudbloods_." He whispered. Jacob's eyes widened at Anthony's use of word.

"Oh, but, Mum was her grade's valedictorian, if that doesn't make her a great witch, what does?" He asked, looking around.

"To some people it just doesn't matter." Fred said softly. Jacob smirked, leaning back into the soft seat. The conversation died soon after, and soon it was time for them to go get into their robes. 

In the Great Hall, the First Years stood nervously in front of the rest of their peers. Professor McGonnagal sent the twins horrified stares, remembering her many detentions with the original Weasley twins. Jacob snickered, but Anthony's stomach had churned. 

In the center of the head table was Headmaster Dumbledore, a good friend of the family. Harry sat to his left, and right next to Harry was Professor Snape, who still glared with the same evil eyes. Other teachers that the first years didn't know were also sitting at the table, applauding each and every one of the new first years. (Nicole Adams had just been sorted into Ravenclaw.)

Anthony stared with terrified eyes at the Sorting Hat, wondering what it was thinking. It had already sung its song, and was on the D's now ("DIGGORY, ALEXIS…RAVENCLAW!")

"Oy Anthony." Jacob whispered to his brother. "Do you really want to be in Ravenclaw?" Anthony turned to his brother, surprised that he was even concerned.

"I think I would fit in best there." He said, rubbing his eyes. Jacob bit his lip and looked at the Sorting Hat. 

"We can't be the new Weasley twins if you are." He said, barely looking at his brother. Anthony smirked,

"But I don't do any of the things you want to do. You wouldn't have fun with me." He explained, trying to make his brother realize that he didn't need him. Jacob turned to Anthony, his eyes almost pleading.

"You'll _never_ know how much fun we could have." Jacob winked at his brother, and watched as the Sorting Hat reached the H's 

"HAGRID, BRIDGET!" All of the Weasley's eyes widened as a rather _tall _first year stepped out of the crowd, though she had already been sticking out. Her brown hair fell to the back of her knees, and her huge stature towered over all of the boys. 

"Merlin! That _has_ to be Hagrid's daughter!" Brian exclaimed, grabbing his hair. Jacob rolled his eyes and pushed his cousin.

"Really? I couldn't tell!" The three boys laughed as the Sorting Hat shouted, 

"GRYFFINDOR!" 

Time passed, and the sorting ceremony seemed to lose all of the Weasley's attention, until,

"PARKINSON, TAYLOR!" Anthony's head shot towards the girl, and he smiled. Jacob and Brian also smiled.

"Whoa! She's someone _I'd _like to fancy." Jacob said, nudging Anthony. Anthony rolled his eyes and watched as Taylor took dainty steps up the small set of stairs. 

She sat on the stool and almost winced when the Sorting Hat was put on her head. It had been the longest decision by far, and the Sorting Hat seemed to be quite perplexed. After a good few minutes, the old worn out hat shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Anthony's face became perplexed, wondering how a Slytherin's daughter made it into something other than the evil house. 

"Hey, lucky us, huh?" Brian whispered to Jacob, although Anthony heard. Jacob nodded softly as he sent a look towards Anthony.

Finally, their turn had come. 

"WEASLEY, ANTHONY!" Professor McGonnagal called. He took a breath, and he slowly made his way towards her. The woman smiled softly at the first child of Ron and Hermione's to get sorted. She had heard many wonderful things about Anthony, and she prayed that he too, would be a Gryffindor. 

Anthony sat on the stool, and before the Sorting Hat went onto his head, he saw his brother and cousin send a wave of good luck. He closed his eyes tightly and waited for the hat to begin.

_Another Weasley, huh? Good Godric how many of them are there? I've seen…since your grandparents…twenty- two! That's the most of any wizard family! At least you're never alone! _

Anthony chuckled softly with the Sorting Hat. 

Well Anthony, you seem to have inherited your mother's amazing study habits, very useful. Ravenclaw, maybe? 

Anthony bit his lip. "I don't know." He whispered. __

_My dear boy, I can see that you are torn between legacy and reality. Honestly, you will do _very_ well in Gryffindor, but in Ravenclaw… you'll be bored after a few study sessions. I think you should choose Gryffindor, but… I'll let you decide. _

Anthony released the breath he had been holding, and the Sorting Hat knew what it meant,

"GRYFFINDOR!" 

Anthony's eyes widened with surprise, and he saw all of his relatives standing up and applauding. He smiled brightly and joined the Gryffindor table, waiting for his cousin and brother. Brian was next, and he too was sorted into Gryffindor. 

"WEASLEY, JACOB!" Professor McGonnagal shouted. Jacob nearly toppled over his own feet to get to the Sorting Hat. McGonnagal rolled her eyes, knowing that she was going to have to deal with him all year. She had heard about Jacob, too. Jacob sent her a charming smile, and the Professor just pointed to the seat.

The Sorting Hat barely touched Jacob's head when it shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR!" 

During dinner, the boys chatted about anything they could think of, and they couldn't wait to go to their dorms. 

"How many first year boys are there?" Jacob asked, stuffing something rather…_sticky _into his mouth. 

Anthony looked up and down the table, but he really couldn't tell the first years apart, why didn't anyone else look as nervous as he felt?

"Six." Brian said before Anthony could respond. The twins stared at him, wondering how he knew. Brian rolled his eyes and pushed his brown hair out of his face. "Weren't you guys paying attention? Those three, over there." He pointed his elbow towards three boys who were standing behind Michael and Mary. 

One had blonde hair that barely reached his light blue eyes. He was listening intently to something Michael was saying. The boy next to him was dark skinned with curly brown hair. His eyes were a deep chocolate color and wire rim glasses rested on his nose. The third boy had hair that seemed to be like a mix of red and brown. He was also giving all of his attention to Michael. His eyes were…yellow? Gold? Anthony could not tell, maybe it was just the light.

"Should we introduce ourselves?" Anthony said, looking over at his brother and cousin. Jacob rolled his eyes and continued eating while Brian shrugged. 

"Later." He said simply. Anthony sighed and continued to pick at his food, looking around the hall at the many different students. His eyes grazed over the Ravenclaw table and he noticed that almost all of the students had an open book in front of them. He smiled softly, knowing that he'd rather be chatting with his friends then reading right now.

In the Gryffindor common room, the first years talked with the older students, asking them numerous questions. Anthony made it his goal of the night to introduce himself and his brother and cousin to the other first years. 

He saw them sitting at a table in the far corner, and Anthony grabbed Jacob and Brian and pulled them over. Jacob just followed his brother's lead, and Brian looked around the room, hoping to recognize someone. 

The three stopped in front of the other boys, Anthony in front. The other boys looked up, and the boy with reddish brown hair smiled.

"Hello there, you guys first years too?" He said. Anthony nodded, and so did Jacob and Brian.

"I'm Anthony Weasley, this is my brother Jacob, and my cousin Brian Weasley." The three other boys stood up and they all shook hands. 

"I'm Joseph Longbottom, my dad graduated with yours!" The blonde boy exclaimed, talking to Anthony and Jacob. The dark skinned boy shook Brian's hand and said,

"Are you FredWeasley's son?" He asked, smiling brightly. Brian nodded, nervous. The boy pulled him into a huge hug and then looked back at him. "I'm Andrew Jordan, your dad and mine were best friends!" 

Brian's eyes widened and he pointed a finger at Andrew's nose. 

"I should've known! Oy, this is wicked!" 

  
Anthony was very happy that everyone was getting along, when he realized that the last first year had not introduced himself. 

"And what's your name?" Anthony asked. The reddish brown haired boy smiled, and Anthony was sure that his eyes were of an odd golden color.

"My name is James Lupin." He said simply. Anthony grinned widely, and shook James' hand again, firmly. 

"We look like we're a pretty good group, huh?" Jacob said, pulling a chair over. "Now, when shall we sneak into the girl's dorm?" He said slyly.   
  


"Jake!" Anthony exclaimed. Before he could reprimand his brother, there was a tap on his shoulder. Anthony spun around and he was now face to face with Taylor Parkinson. 

She smiled brightly at him as the red head blushed furiously. 

"Hullo Anthony! I'm so glad I was sorted into Gryffindor!" Taylor giggled, hugging him tightly around the neck. His blush deepened as he saw his older cousins standing on the other side of the room, laughing hysterically at him. 

He didn't know what else to do, so he hugged her around the waist. 

"I'm glad you were too! I didn't see you on the train, though." He said as they pulled away from each other. 

It was Taylor's turn to blush and she looked away from him.

"Oh, I didn't know anyone, so I had a compartment to myself, all the way at the end." She explained, and Anthony nodded.

"Up to bed! Lights out!" Mary shouted, standing up on a chair with her hands on her hips. 

Anthony waved goodbye to Taylor as she headed up to the girls' dorm, and was then pushed into the boys' dorm by his brother.

"How do you know _her_?" Jacob asked excitedly once the door was closed. Anthony shrugged softly as he trudged to his bed. 

"I met her in Diagon Alley, we bumped into each other; literally." He said as he flopped onto his beds, smiling at his brother. Jacob stood over him, staring sharply at him.

"Well, if she thinks _you're _cute, then she's gonna think _I'm _gorgeous." Jacob smiled brightly. Anthony rolled his eyes and pulled his curtains closed. 

"She doesn't think I'm cute." He shouted over the laughter that had entered the room. He heard Jacob jump onto his bed and giggles from the other boys. Anthony rolled his eyes as he imagined what his brother was doing. 

Their first class the next day was Defense Against the Dark arts, and the Weasley's could not contain their excitement. Their uncle Harry has gotten much praise for his teaching methods, and plus the simple fact that he _was _their uncle. 

"Where is he?" Jacob whispered, sliding into a seat next to Anthony. The red head shrugged, pulling out The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by: Quentin Trimble.

As soon as everyone in the class had settled down (they were taking this class with the Ravenclaws), the door swung open, and Harry Potter strode in. 

Many of the students' eyes widened, and most of the girls giggled. Anthony and Jacob shared a wicked smile, and turned to Brian to see how he was reacting. He too, had the same silly grin as Harry stood in front of the class, one arm to the side and the other holding a goblet of what smelled like steaming coffee.

"Good morning class, my name is Professor Potter, and that is what I expect to be called for the next seven years that you are here. Please, do not ask me to show off my scar, although you might catch a glimpse of it when I comb my hand through my hair- that is _it. _Today is…Wednesday, so your first exam will be Friday. It will be on the summer reading that was assigned, which I'm sure you _all _read, right?" He smiled brightly and looked over his class.

All of the first years stared in shock, their eyes wide with fear. At that look, Harry burst into laughter, almost knocking his hat off of his head. 

"That was _classic!_ But seriously, who actually _did _read?" He asked, pushing himself up on his desk. All the Ravenclaw students raised their hands, and about half of the Gryffindors did, Anthony included. 

Harry raised an eyebrow at his two nephews whose hands were not raised. 

"Better than I expected…the test will be Monday, I'll give you guys the weekend." 

Jacob and Brian released a sigh of relief and slumped back in their chairs. Other Gryffindors did the same, including Joseph Longbottom and a girl with brown curly hair, Nicole Spits. 

Professor Potter took a deep breath and looked around the classroom. 

"From looking at my class list, I recognize many names, and I'm proud to say that I was lucky enough to know them. Longbottom, Jordan, Lupin, Hagrid, Weasley…so many Weasleys!" 

The classroom laughed as Professor Potter winked at the boys. 

"Okay, I don't normally do any work the first day of class, I use it to introduce myself and get to know you guys better. So…let me begin." He pushed his wire rim glasses up his nose and began.  
  


"In my time at Hogwarts I had _many _different Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, so I hope that I can see you guys graduate. Before you start asking me questions about all the stories you've heard, I'll answer them all with one answer: they're all true." His eyes shined as he saw the amazed looks on his students' faces. 

"Er--alright, now that we have that settled…I've been married for eleven years now, and I don't think I could be any happier. I have four children, one girl and three boys; Lily's ten, Ronald's eight, Cedric's seven, and Jamie's three. I've been teaching here at Hogwarts for eight years, and my first class of students received the highest marks on their O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S., so I hope you guys are ready for some work."

He smiled again at his class, looking around. 

"Now, who can tell me what spell you would use to disarm your enemy?"

Anthony's hand shot in the air, and out of the corner of his eye he realized that his was the only one. Professor Potter also looked around the room, clearly staring right through Anthony. 

"Anyone?" Still, no hands rose. "Aw come on, even if you're not sure, give it a try." 

Anthony was now waving his hand, trying to catch Professor Potter's attention. Jacob stared at his brother oddly, like the rest of the students were. He even went as far as to kneel on his chair, which caused him to topple over. The class tried to stifle their giggles, but of course, Jacob let out a snort that scared the black haired girl in front of them. But, Professor Potter did not take any notice. Anthony slipped back into his seat, his face burning red.

In the front of the room, Bridget raised her hand slowly. Professor Potter looked at her brightly. 

"Bridget?" He said hopefully. 

"Expelliarmus?" She said softly. Professor Potter nodded and clapped his hands together.

"Yes! Simple right? See, how many of you guys were thinking that?" He asked, looking around the room. Anthony rolled his eyes and kept his hand up, as a few other students also raised their hands. 

"That's good. The point of this is to show you that my class is about being ready to be put to the test, and overcoming your fears. Don't be scared of me, unless you don't see my goblet on my desk…I tend to get cranky when I don't have my coffee in the morning…I've never been a morning person." He sent a wink to the class that made all the girls giggle.

During the entire class, all Anthony could do was bore holes into his uncle. The embarrassment he had endured wasn't what he was expecting from what he thought was going to be his favorite class. When Professor Potter dismissed the class, Anthony swiped his books into his bag and stormed out of the room, not even waiting for Jacob or Brian. 

"Anthony!" Professor Potter called, following him out after the rest of the class had left. The red head stopped abruptly and pinched his cheeks. He turned around just as Professor Potter reached him. "Good, I'm glad you heard me." 

"I'm all ears; _Professor_ _Potter_." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Professor Potter raised his eyebrows.

"In these halls and classrooms I am _not _your uncle, I expect you to treat me with the same respect you would give any other teacher; five points from Gryffindor."

The red head's eyes almost fell out their sockets. Anthony felt the blood rushing up his cheeks and he felt the tears forming in his eyes. He knew that Harry-er-Professor Potter was going to tell his parents of his behavior, and that was one Anthony's worst fears- his parents' disappointment. 

Professor Potter seemed to notice Anthony's dismay. He put his arm around the young boy's shoulders and started to walk down the hallway with him.

"Look, I won't tell your parents, alright?" He said as if he had read the boy's mind. "And about class today, I ignored you for your own good." He said softly. Anthony looked up at him, confused.

"But I made a fool out of myself, it was so embarrassing." Professor Potter laughed.

"Yes, I saw, but Anthony, I don't want you stressing over schoolwork like your mother did. She would've had a _much _better experience here if she had taken every thing a little less seriously, and I'm absolutely positive she still would've been valedictorian if she did." They stopped walking and Professor Potter smiled. "Just have fun, alright?" 

Anthony nodded and then waved goodbye, running off to his next class. 

Hope you enjoyed =) 

Until then…

~~S. C. Hardy


	4. Real Gryffindors and Sweet Kisses

I don't own any of JK Rowling's character (except their offspring, but probably not)

**Weasley's The Name- Chapter 3**

It was the middle of December at Hogwarts and everything seemed to be going well. Professor Snape actually had treated Anthony _almost_ as well as one of his Slytherins (again, he was one of the few that had done the summer reading). In Charms, Jacob was the only student to make his feather float, and Brian was lucky enough to make the toothpick he was given in Transfiguration to turn silver. Both triumphs _infuriated _Anthony (because he was not able to accomplish them as well), so he decided to spend his nights in the library…not that he told anyone, of course. 

After the librarian kicked him out he slowly made his way towards the Gryffindor common room, trying to find his way back without getting lost for once. When he began traveling along what he believed was the right corridor, he heard what he thought was footsteps. Quickly, he hid behind a suit of armor and listened for some voices.

"You dare run into _me_?" A deep voice hissed. Anthony knew that it was not the voice of the notorious Filch, so he peeked out and saw two figures, a skinny one clearly towering over the shorter one. 

"I didn't run into you…I was just taking a walk…I didn't even leave the Gryffindor hallway." A sweet voice explained. Anthony immediately recognized it as Taylor's. 

"You know _my _father would have your neck for being a _Gryffindor_, don't you?" The young man growled. Anthony heard Taylor whimper and he watched the tall figure reach for his wand. 

"Have you told anyone? He'll…_dispose_ of you, if you don't keep your little mouth shut." He hissed. Taylor shook her head furiously, covering her eyes with her hands. 

"Not one person, no one." Taylor whispered, her voice cracking. The young man stood back, looking down at her. 

"I'm going to have to make sure that you don't, of course." Then, he pulled out his wand, and pointed it right at Taylor's head. Anthony didn't know what came over him, and he jumped from behind the armor and flung out his wand. 

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted, and immediately the man's wand flew away from him and into Anthony's free hand. Taylor and the man turned towards him, both with astonished eyes. 

"Anthony!" She exclaimed. Her eyes widened and then she covered her mouth. Anthony sent her a soft smile, and then turned his attention to the other person in the hall. 

The young man took three large steps, and soon he was inches away from Anthony. The red head felt his stomach lurch as he finally realized whom it was. On the chest of the man was the 'Head Boy' badge…it was Stephen Malfoy. 

"Who in the bloody hell are you?" Stephen exclaimed. He stepped closer to Anthony, pushing the young boy across the hallway and into the light of a window. A snarl grew on Stephen's face. "Oh, just another _Weasel_." 

  
"Weasley." Anthony said quickly. Stephen's face darkened even more. The red head didn't know what to do, so he began to speak. "Pulling your wand on another student is against Hogwarts rules. I don't think the Head Boy should be pulling stunts like that." 

"Oh really? Well, since you _are _just a lowly first year, _no one _is going to take your word over _mine_." Stephen said, a wicked smile growing on his face. Anthony's throat seemed to close, but he still spit out his next comment,

"_I _was able to get your wand away from you, I don't see that as lowly." Before he could take his next breath, Stephen pushed his roughly against the wall, causing Anthony's head to bounce off of it. His eyes rolled as he slipped down the wall, barely standing. 

"Stephen, don't!" Taylor screamed, clasping her hands together. Stephen turned to the girl and sent her a smile. Then he turned around and punched Anthony in the ribs with such force that Anthony's entire body shook with pain. Stephen grabbed Anthony by the back of his neck, and then slammed him to the floor. The red head lied still, groaning. Stephen picked up his wand, laughing softly, and aimed it at Anthony.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Taylor shrieked, her wand sending out a silver streak towards Stephen. His entire stiffened, and he fell back into the hallway, frozen. 

Anthony stirred on the floor, not really sure where he was. Taylor rushed over to him and rolled him onto his back.

"Anthony, open your eyes!" She cried, softly rubbing the bump that was growing on his forehead. The red head's eyes fluttered and he looked up at her. 

"Are you okay?" He asked her, sitting up as she grabbed his shoulders to help him. As they stood up, he grabbed onto her arm to help him stand. 

"_I'm_ fine, oh Anthony, I'm so sorry, we need to get you to the Hospital Wing!" Taylor said, trying to lead him in that direction. Anthony shook his head slightly, and then grimaced because of the pain it caused him.

"No, she'll ask what happened, and if we tell on Stephen then we'll get in even more trouble." He smiled softly at her, trying to make her feel better. Taylor's eyes were still filled with tears as she nodded. 

"Okay, come on, we're going to get caught." She said softly. 

The Fat Lady did not ask the two any questions, once she saw Anthony's pained face, she opened the door as soon as the password was said ("Canary Creams"). 

The common room was empty, the fire still burning softly. The two headed towards the stairs, when Anthony stopped.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked, looking into his eyes. Anthony wanted to tell her that his head was throbbing and all he wanted to do was have his mother make it all feel better. He wanted to wrap his arms tightly around his upper body to try and stop the stinging he felt in his chest.

"Nothing." He lied. "I just…I want to know what Stephen was doing." He blushed, he wasn't sure if she trusted him enough. Taylor looked at the ground, biting her lip.

"I'm not sure if I can say…you saw how mad he got…" Her voice cracked again and she wiped at her eyes. Anthony bent down slowly to look her straight in the face.

"It's okay if you don't tell me. I just don't want him attacking you again." As he said it, he felt the blush creeping up his neck. Taylor's cheeks also reddened and she looked into Anthony's blue eyes. 

"Not now." She whispered. "But, will you do something for me?" She bit her lip as she asked this. Anthony looked at her curiously, but he nodded. Taylor smiled softly and got on her tiptoes, grazing her lips against his.

Shocked, Anthony backed away. 

"What are you doing?" He whispered nervously. Taylor's blush grew. 

"I've never had a real friend." She began. "What you did out there was absolutely amazing…and I am forever in your debt. As silly as it sounds, if we kiss now, we won't have that awkwardness later on in life. Plus…I _would_ like you to be my first kiss." Her face was now beat red. "It's something girls think about a lot, and, well, I think you'd be wonderful."

Taylor looked up at him, smiling weakly and waiting for his response. Anthony had absolutely no idea what to say, but all he knew was that his heart was beating rapidly and his head was beginning to pound on his brain even harder. 

"Okay." He said simply. She smiled brightly and got up on her tiptoes again. This time, Anthony leaned in as well, and they met half way. They're lips danced around each other's and Anthony took her face in his hands, softly putting his hands on her cheeks. 

They don't know how long they were standing like that, but when they parted, they only shared a smile and walked up the stairs to their dorms. 

Luckily the next morning was Saturday, so the two did not need to worry about homework or tiredness.

Jacob arose from his bed at around eight thirty. The young troublemaker wanted to be at Hogsmeade all day. He shivered and pulled his blanket over himself again. Rubbing his eyes, he rolled his head to look over at his brother's bed. Normally, Anthony was up early on Saturdays, but to Jacob's surprise, his twin was still in bed. His curtains had never been closed, and what startled him even more was that Anthony was still fully dressed.

"Ant. One more day, come on, we have to talk about what we're doing." Jacob said sliding off of his bed with his blanket still wrapped around him. 

Since they were five, the day before their birthday was spent discussing the events of the actual events. Usually Jacob came up with wild ideas and Anthony simmered them down so they could actually happen.

He shuffled to the edge of his brother's bed and peered down at his identical twin. Anthony was sleeping on his stomach, but his head was turned, and Jacob could tell that he had a huge black and blue bruise on the side of his forehead. Concerned, Jacob shook him roughly. "Ant, wake up." 

His brother did not respond, and now worry began to fill Jacob's eyes. He pushed Anthony roughly again, this time rolling his brother onto his back. Still, Anthony did not stir. "Anthony!" He shouted.

"What's going? on?" A voice mumbled. Jacob looked across the room to see that James had gotten up as well. 

"Anthony's not waking up." He said frantically, looking down at his brother again. James rushed over and checked Anthony's pulse.

"He's alive. _Merlin_ that's a nasty bump!" James exclaimed. Jacob jumped onto the bed and stood over his brother. He began to bounce, trying desperately to wake Anthony up.

"ANTHONY REMUS WEASLEY! YOU WAKE UP _RIGHT_ NOW!" He demanded. Slowly, Anthony's eyes fluttered open. Jacob smiled brightly at him. Anthony rubbed his eyes and just looked up at his brother.

"What're you doing?" He whispered. Jacob rolled his eyes and then jumped off the bed. 

"You wouldn't wake up." James explained, sitting on the bed. He pushed his auburn hair away from his face and stared at Anthony's bruise. The red head moaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Oh…I guess I was having a good dream." He said softly. Jacob stood on his side with his arms crossed.

"You've never been a deep sleeper." Jacob said angrily. "Where'd you get that bruise?" Anthony blushed as he remembered the night he had experienced. 

"A book fell on my head, from this high shelf in the library." He said quickly, sliding off the bed and shuffling towards the bathroom. Jacob followed him, standing in front of the bathroom door.

"Why are you still in your school clothes?" He asked, staring daggers into his twin's eyes. Anthony's blue irises darted away from Jacob's, and he continued to rub the back of his head. 

"The knock took the wind out of me. I fell asleep once I hit the pillow." Which was true…except for the whole book thing. Jacob still seemed skeptical, but he moved out of the bathroom's entrance. 

Anthony quickly closed the door, and as soon as he did, he fell to his knees. To put on such an act in front of his brother and friend had taken so much energy out of him that he could barely stand. His head was throbbing and pounding and he felt a stinging in his forehead. Anthony's chest also hurt and when he touched it, it stung immediately. 

"_Maybe I _should_ go to the hospital wing._" He thought. His head spun as he tried to stand up again. "Oh…" He moaned, leaning on the sink for support. Anthony's eyes rolled into his head as he slipped to the floor again, with a thud. 

Anthony was out for a few minutes, and after he showered and got dressed, the first years headed down to the Great Hall. It was the weekend they were to visit Hogsmeade, and Anthony made himself go because the first and second years would not be allowed back until the last visit of the year. He needed to buy a birthday present for Jacob and Christmas presents for him and the rest of his family. This would be his only time to without having to go with his parents. That Monday they were going home, so his time was short.

As they ate breakfast (quickly, because they wanted to get out as soon as possible) the other students began to file in. Anthony looked up from his pancakes to see Taylor rush by Richard Malfoy, who had been standing by the door. He tripped her and she stumbled away. The Slytherin table howled with laughter as she sat across from Anthony, who just meekly smiled at her. Her face was a bright red, and she tried to ignore the comments coming from the opposing table. 

"There is this _wicked _roller coaster there!" Anthony heard Fred exclaim.   
  
"How do you know?" His sister Annie asked. Anthony and Jacob looked over to see a mischievous smile slide on their cousin's face, and Annie just shook her head, knowing the answer to her question. 

"What are you going to do there?" Taylor asked Anthony, picking at her eggs. He watched as she just swirled them around the plate, pushing them through her maple syrup and taking some pieces of bacon along. She looked up at him, her green eyes shining. Anthony immediately felt his face flush.

"Oh, I was thinking about going Christmas shopping…I saved up for this year. Er--my first year at Hogwarts that is. I wanted to show I was responsible." He shrugged and put a piece of bacon in his mouth. The way his head pounded when he chewed was agonizing, but he didn't want Taylor to be worried. 

"That's awfully sweet of you." She said simply, finally putting something in her mouth. She smiled, and Anthony smiled back. 

"Taylor!" A high-pitched voice called. The blonde girl turned to see Bridget waving her over to the other end of the Gryffindor table. Taylor sent Anthony one last smile, and then she was off to join the girls of the first year Gryffindor class. 

"Come on, come on, _come_ on!" Jacob whined, rapping the table furiously. Anthony rolled his eyes and ate the last piece of his pancake. He joined Jacob, Brian, and James, and the quartet got ready to leave to Hogsmeade.


	5. Cotton Candy and the Unforgivable

I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters (except their offspring, but probably not)

Weasley's The Name- Chapter 4 

"Rides! Candy! Games! So much to experience, so little time! Must...must...do _everything_!!" Jacob exclaimed, grabbing Anthony by the wrist and dragging him towards a rather glittery 'cotton candy' stand. The less excited twin sighed and rubbed the bruise on his forehead, for it was beginning to pound. 

"What's cotton candy?" Anthony asked softly, watching as his brother drew a couple of sickles out of his pocket, and handing it to the cashier. Jacob looked back at him and smiled.

"I have absolutely _no_ idea, but I want it." The cashier handed Jacob a big blob of what _looked _like blue cotton on a stick. 

"That's disgusting." Anthony groaned, holding his stinging stomach. Jacob shrugged and took a huge bite. A silly grin slid on his face and he pointed the ball of cotton at his twin. 

"It's pretty good and _sweet _actually! Try it!" He moved it within inches of Anthony's face, but his brother declined the offer.

"Er...I'd rather not. Anyway, I need to go shopping." Anthony said, backing away. Jacob rolled his eyes and took another bite.

"You sound like such a girl." Jacob moaned as the two headed towards the store part of Hogsmeade. 

"For your information, I'm buying Christmas gifts with the money I've been saving. I want to look…_mature_ for our first Christmas at Hogwarts." He sent a satisfied look at his twin. Jacob's smile disappeared. 

"Really? Does that mean I have to get you something?" He asked seriously as they stopped in front of an 'Anything You Want' store. Anthony rolled his eyes.

"That's up to you, really." He turned to Jacob who was staring through the glass door of the store. "Why don't you go and find Brian and James? I bet they have great spots on the roller coaster's line." Anthony headed towards the door, and Jacob followed him.

"No…I think I'm going to buy some stuff too." He said softly, following his brother into the store. Anthony sent him an odd look, but Jacob just started down an aisle that contained a bunch of twirling and singing dolls. 

Anthony shrugged and headed towards the broomsticks. He knew that his brother wanted _something _that involved broomsticks or the Chudley Cannons. There was an entire section dedicated to the numerous Quidditch teams of Europe, and all Anthony had to do was look for the orange section. It was near the corner of the store, far in the back. The Cannons had never been a winning team, and Anthony was never quite sure why his father and brother loved them so much. 

"_Ugly_ uniforms." Anthony whispered as he noticed the Cannons' jerseys hanging on their respective hooks. He tried to remember Jacob's favorite player…the Italian with the mustache was all her could remember. "He plays Keeper, like dad did." He said, rubbing the back of his head. The pain was lessening now that he was away from the noise of the fair. It would probably go away with time; just an ice pack here and there would fix everything right up.

He stood in front of the Cannons' section for a rather long time when a little boy with his father came up the aisle and stood by Anthony.

  
"Daddy! Can I get a jersey, Daddy?" The boy exclaimed, tugging on his father's sleeve. "Or maybe a broom? That would be _wicked!_" Anthony watched as the father sighed, and started to look through the jerseys.

"This is _only_ because your mother is out of town." The boy giggled excitedly and began peering through the many jerseys. 

"Excuse me, sir." Anthony said politely. The man and boy looked over at him, and the man smiled brightly. 

"Are you Anthony _Weasley_? Ron's son?" He asked. Anthony had to hold back the sigh he was about to release. He wished he could dye his hair brown and make his eyes black. 

"Yes." Anthony answered almost mechanically. The man put out his hand, and Anthony shook it.

"I haven't seen your father in _ages_! The names Longbottom, my son Joseph is in your year. I just saw your brother leaving, he had a couple of bags in his hands." Anthony nodded and forgot the annoyance of being known only as Ron Weasley's son. He noticed that the little boy hid behind his father's legs.

"Do you know all the players on the Cannons?" He asked the little boy. "I'm not too…er…_keen_ on Quidditch, never liked the whole…_flying _bit." 

Mr. Longbottom laughed and his tiny son jumped out from behind his legs. 

"You don't know any of the Cannons? Why, there's McCauley, McDonald, and McGinnis the Chasers! Then there are the Beaters, Davila and Weissman; they are _awesome_! The keeper, Gaudio, he's as quick as lightening, and the _seeker_! Man, the seeker--"

"Did you say Gaudio?" Anthony interrupted. The little boy looked up and nodded at him. "Is he the one with the mustache?" The boy smiled and nodded again. "Okay, well, that's the jersey I want to buy for my brother. Would you mind helping me look for it?" 

The little one jumped a little, and began to search the racks for a Gaudio jersey. At last, in the back of all the bright orange jerseys, they found Gaudio. 

"Thanks a lot!" Anthony exclaimed, holding the jersey up to his chest. Mr. Longbottom laughed happily and picked up his son (who now had a Gaudio jersey for himself.) 

"I'm glad he was of some help, tell your father I said hello." Anthony waved goodbye to the two as they went to pay for the jersey. 

The red head wasn't sure how long he was in the store, but he found it quite exciting. The store literally did have _everything _he was looking for, including a collar for Marauder that changed colors with the cat's moods. His mother, father, brother, sister, and, er, Taylor, were all getting special gifts from him. His cousins and fellow Gryffindor first years would also receive a small parcel from the young Weasley, and he hoped that they appreciated it. 

There was a gift-wrapping store adjacent to the store he had just exited, and he entered there, getting all of his gifts wrapped in many different colors and designs (he was horrible at wrapping). 

While the women behind the counter wrapped slowly and carefully (he had been their first customer of the day), Anthony filled out the numerous cards. The head woman with the bright blue hair handed Anthony a huge bag with all of the gifts in them. He peered in and was amazed at all the colors, and he thanked the women, who smiled and batted their eyes at him (his ears burned pink). 

Anthony wasn't too sure where his brother had gone, but Mr. Longbottom did say he had a couple of bags with him, so Anthony assumed he must have dropped them off somewhere. He headed back toward where the carriages would be waiting for to take the students back to Hogwarts. 

As he headed towards the carriage he and his friend's had shared on their way to Hogsmeade, he passed a dark ally where voices could be heard. Anthony paused, thinking of the previous nights' experiences, but his heart told him to go and check it out. He pushed his bag behind an old garbage can, and he listened to the conversation from the corner of the store. 

"We're doing it _tonight_?" A high male voice squeaked nervously. "_Tonight_, tonight?" 

"Shut up!" A deeper voice hissed. "Yes, tonight, okay? She's really too big of a risk, there's no point in waiting any longer. It should have been done last night, but…" Anthony immediately knew they were talking about Taylor.

"Can't we wait until vacation?" The first voice pleaded. He sounded as if he really did not want to go through with whatever they were planning. "I mean…if a _Weasley_ can knock you down, then well, I don't want to be around others when we do it." A third voice spoke then, and Anthony nearly collapsed.

"_He _didn't knock me out you idiots! Taylor did, he just distracted me. I kicked his ass though." Stephen Malfoy explained, ready to kill the other voices. "As a matter of fact, I think I see a shade of that ugly Weasley red hair right around the corner…" 

Before Anthony could get away, a set of strong arms pulled him deep into the ally. He struggled against the grip and opened his mouth to scream, but a large hand covered his mouth. He looked up at the guy that was holding him, and he immediately recognized him as Richard Malfoy. Malcolm stood to the side, stunned.

Stephen approached him, his head shaking and his wand held tightly in right hand. 

"Well, well. Look what we have here…" He drawled, smirking.

Jacob Weasley raced through the crowds of Hogsmeade towards the main attraction of the fair. The Lightening Bolt; it was the biggest roller coaster in the Wizard world. It had seven loops that made you fall out of your seat (literally) and caught you before you hit the ground. The dips made your hair stand on end and while you fell, pixies sprayed you with some sort of blue goop. After the first dip, you head into a dark tunnel where the blue goop glowed in the dark, causing a very eerie affect. All in all, it was an awesome thrill. 

"Jacob!" 

The young Weasley twin heard his cousin called. He turned towards the direction of the voice, and saw that Brian and James were already on line with…

"Dad?!" Jacob shrieked, running towards the group. Ron Weasley smiled brightly as his son threw his arms around him. "What are you doing here?" He asked excitedly. Ron just winked.

"Well, how could such a magical and game filled place be held with out the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports?" He said knowingly, messing up his son's hair. Jacob's eyes widened as he realized that this was the project his dad had been working on over the summer. 

"This is absolutely awesome!" Jacob exclaimed, joining the three on the line. "I can't wait to go through that first loop!" 

Ron nodded excitedly as he looked up at The Lightening Bolt. He then realized that twins come in pairs. 

"Where's Ant?" He asked, looking down at Jacob. His son shrugged as he continued to stare at the roller coaster. 

"He went shopping for Christmas gifts. I left him in that 'Anything You Want' store, after I bought all my stuff, of course." Jacob explained, never taking his eyes off of the coaster. Ron stared at his son questioningly.   
  


"Really? Where'd you put it?" Ron asked as they moved up a few people on the line. 

"In the carriages, I had to get by those stupid Malfoy brothers, but they didn't bother me that much, they thought I was Anthony, actually." As Jacob said this, he took his eyes off of the roller coaster, thinking of something. Why would they bother Anthony and not him? 

"I really can't stand that name, almost as bad as You-Know-Who." Ron shuddered and they moved up some more. 

"Did you guys hear?" Brian said, jumping into the conversation. "They found Stephen Malfoy under 'Pertificus Totalus' last night, right outside the Gryffindor hall. Weird right? He has no idea who did it. It happened really late last night, and The Fat Lady will not tell what she saw. All she said was that Stephen got what he deserved. Isn't that funny?" Ron and Brian laughed, but the other two stayed still.

Jacob and James shared a look, knowing that Anthony had come in late the previous night. The large bruise, and the really stupid story of the book falling on his head were all coming back to them. And now the fact that the Malfoys left him alone because he wasn't Anthony…

"Isn't it?" Brian said again, staring at the two boys. Ron looked down at them, truly concerned. 

"What's with the odd look?" He asked his son, then looking at James. Jacob shook his head out of the trance he had been in, and looked up at his dad. 

"It's just that…well, Anthony came in really late last night, and this morning we found him still in his school robes and this huge bruise on his forehead." He explained. James continued,

"Yeah, so maybe it was Anthony who attacked Malfoy? Or…the other way around?" 

  
Ron's face burned red at the thought of a Malfoy touching his son. He gripped his wand with full force, and he headed off the line.

"Dad!" Jacob called, starting after him. Brian and James struggled eternally with the fact that they were going to have to lose their place on the very long line, but soon, they too were chasing Ron. 

"Where was it that the Malfoys bothered you?" Ron said through gritted teeth. Jacob grabbed his father's arm, trying to stop him. 

"Dad, don't do anything stupid. I know you have a temper!" Jacob exclaimed. "Please, let's talk to Anthony first, I don't want you losing your job or anything like that!" 

Ron stopped and turned to his son, though his face was still beat red. He closed his eyes and nodded, heading towards The Three Broomsticks.

"You're right. You're right. Come on guys, I'll treat you to some drinks, I'll talk to Anthony when you guys head back up to Hogwarts." 

Jacob, Brian, and James couldn't refuse and they followed the older man. 

"Spying again Weasley?" Stephen said, poking Anthony's bruise with his wand. "You saw what happened last night, didn't you? Too bad Taylor isn't around to save you now, huh?" 

  
Richard chuckled and continued to grip onto Anthony's arms. Richard held his huge palm over Anthony's mouth and nose, making it hard for the young boy to breath. 

"Just stay out of it you stupid git!" Stephen exclaimed, punching Anthony in the same place as last night. Now, Anthony was sure that one of his ribs was broken, and his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. "You're just making everything more difficult! Forget about her and let us do what we have to do!" He stood over the young red head, pointing his wand at him.

Anthony lifted his head and looked up at the sneering boy. It was as if he had seen him a million times, but had never really _looked _at him. His long silvery blonde hair was now loose around his head, and his light blue eyes were filled with rage. He noticed that his pointed nose had been cut. It was then that Anthony realized where he had seen all of his facial features before. 

"She's…she's your sister, isn't she?" He groaned, grabbing onto his stomach, but still staring at Stephen. The oldest Malfoy's eyes widened and he looked up at his brothers, and then back down at Anthony. 

"She'll _never_ live up to that title." Stephen hissed. Anthony attempted to stand up, but Richard put a strong hand on his shoulder and pushed the young boy down. 

Malcolm stood to the side, torn between his true emotions and pride. He was constantly watching the entrance of the ally to make sure that no one was watching. 

The youngest Malfoy son was fearful that his brothers were going to _really _hurt the boy. Anthony was only a year younger than him, and he didn't think it was fair that fourth and seventh year were going to fight him. And, truthfully, he didn't think that the Weasleys were that bad…he had met the other twin in the bookstore who had helped him.

"Stephen, maybe you can just leave him here, he seems smart enough to know not to get involved." Malcolm pleaded, rushing towards Stephen. The oldest Malfoy stared down at his little brother.

"What, got a soft spot for _mudbloods_ Malcolm?" He spat, pushing his brother roughly away. Malcolm was pushed into the wall, and his elbow hit it with a hard blow. He howled in pain, and with his other arm he grabbed the hurt elbow. 

"I'm not a mudblood!" Anthony shouted, trying to stand up again. This time, Richard didn't bother to just push him down. He put both of his hands on Anthony's back, and slammed him to the ground, splattering the puddle of water Anthony's face had hit. 

"Well, you're not as good as _us_." Richard growled, a huge grin on his face. Malcolm approached him, letting go of his elbow to grab his brother's arm.

"Look, let's go, we're going to get in trouble! He has nothing to do with our situation!" He argued, pulling Richard away. 

"He knows! If father found out that people know he has a child that is _not _mother's, well, that would ruin him!" Richard exclaimed, punching Malcolm in the face. The youngest Malfoy boy staggered back and away from the ally. With his two older brothers watching, Malcolm spit some blood out of his mouth, and ran out of the ally. 

"Stupid git." Stephen said, kicking Anthony in the shoulder. "I'm glad he's a mudblood lover, I always knew he was the weak one." 

Richard nodded, grabbing Anthony by the shoulders and lifting him up. The young Weasley's eyes were wide with fear, and his lip was ripped. 

"Now," Stephen said simply. "You are going to get what you deserve for humiliating me last night." He poked Anthony's nose. "What do you say to that?" 

Anthony's eyes narrowed, and he felt his heart rate increase.

"Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt her." He hissed, not knowing where the comment came from. Stephen's eyes widened a bit, but he just smirked.

"Such a noble Gryffindor." He flicked Anthony's nose with his wand, back and forth. Then, he stepped back and pointed the wand at Anthony's chest. 

The young boy held his own as Richard stepped away. There was no energy left in him to run, and all he could do was stand up to Stephen. Anthony never expected wait Stephen said next.

"_Crucio_!" 


	6. A Weasley Family Christmas

I don't own any of JKR's characters…duh. I might own their children though. ::shrugs::

Weasley's the Name- Chapter 5 

Hermione Granger-Weasley slid into her chair at work. Her second graders had been very rambunctious that day, for the simple fact that one of them was going to the Hogsmeade fair the next day. She wanted to _strangle _Christopher Creevey and his tales of the rides. The little boy wasn't even alive the last time the fair had come around.

It wasn't that Hermione didn't love her job, it's just that she only knew a few of her children came from wizarding families. So Christopher's stories of pixies and goblins were _very _fascinating. 

A couple of years before, her entire class consisted of little witches and wizards who were completely entranced by their teacher. All of them had heard the many stories of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts, and Hermione took about half an hour a day to tell them some stories. She would use her magic for most of the day, unless of course a Muggle teacher or student walked in. It was an easy life, that year; _now_ she had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't whisper some charms. 

"All right, enough talk about the fair. Ms. Brown is going to take you guys down to lunch, and I'll be right here to hand out your prizes for winning that game of Jeopardy!" The little children squealed and lined up by the door. 

Ms. Brown, who had been Hermione's roommate at Hogwarts, laughed began to lead the children out. Christopher was the only student still in the room. He stood in front of her desk, staring at the clock she had on there. 

"Mrs. Weeeeeeeasley?" He asked, looking at the clock. Hermione opened one eye to stare at the little boy. He smiled brightly at her, his front teeth missing.

"Yes Christopher?" She asked him, stretching out her arms. Christopher pointed at the clock, the one that wasn't like the one on the wall. It told her the precise locations and emotions of her family, and only other wizards could see it, so Christopher was one of the few in the class who could.

"What does ex…ex…crew…see ah…at…ing mean?" He said, sounding out the word. Hermione's eyes widened and she reached for the clock, grabbing it and looking at it closely. 

Anthony's arrow, which was normally a calm blue, was burning red and the gold lettering on it said "In _Excruciating_ Pain in Hogsmeade!!" 

Hermione had to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She needed to get to Hogsmeade, right now! Lavender had already left with her class, so she looked over at Christopher.

"Do you think you can make it to the cafeteria without getting lost?" She asked him calmly. Christopher nodded excitedly and raced out the door. Once he left, Hermione apparated to the only spot in Hogsmeade she could recall at the moment. 

"So, up _up _UP my feather went!" Jacob exclaimed, using his spoon to show exactly how the feather moved. "Professor Flitwick was _very _impressed, and Anthony got _so_ mad that I did it before him!" He smiled brightly as his father applauded.

Brian and James nodded, both taking a sip of their drinks. _POP!_ And with that sound, Hermione fell into her husband's lap.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, almost falling off the chair. Before she could throw him completely off balance, she jumped off of him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Where's Anthony?!" She screamed. Everyone in the place stared at her, as Ron stood up. 

"What do you mean?" He asked, a bewildered look on his face. Hermione's eyes began to tear as she grabbed Ron's hand and headed out the door. The three first years immediately followed them, each leaving enough money to pay for all the drinks.

"My clock, _my clock_! It said he was in excruciating pain! Oh God Ron, _where is he_?" She cried, flinging herself into her husband's arms. Ron held her close and looked towards Jacob, his face burning red.

"Where are the Malfoys?" He growled. Jacob had never seen his father so mad, and he pointed towards the carriages. 

"Over-over there." He stuttered. Ron let go of Hermione and stormed towards the area Jacob pointed at, his wand at his side. His wife followed, taking her wand out of her purse and catching up to him. Jacob had no idea what to do, but he decided to find someone to help his parents. "Guys, go find some teachers." He said, grabbing onto Brian's arm. James and Brian nodded, and the two ran off in the opposite direction. Jacob took a deep breath and started after his parents.

As Ron and Hermione ran, Malcolm Malfoy staggered towards them, holding his bleeding mouth in his hands. Ron confronted him, grabbing his shoulders. He knew he was a Malfoy because he looked almost exactly like his father.

"Where's my son?" Ron snarled. Malcolm's eyes widened as he started to shake. 

"I was telling them to stop, I told Stephen that he shouldn't do it, that Anthony didn't do anything!" Malcolm cried, covering his eyes with his blood covered hands. Ron let go of him, pushing him away slightly. 

"Just tell me where they are!" Ron exclaimed, although he was already heading towards the ally Malcolm had run out from. Hermione checked the boy's face, and noticed that his front tooth was missing. Jacob joined his mother, looking over her shoulder. She noticed her son, and then the fact that Ron was almost near the ally, and she threw Malcolm at Jacob. 

"Fix him up." Hermione asked him, and then running off towards Ron. Jacob watched his mother with a bewildered look on his face, and he slowly led Malcolm to a nearby bench. 

The young Slytherin held his mouth in his hand and he looked up at Jacob with sad eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Jacob." He cried, looking away. "I don't want to be a part of them anymore, I don't want to be a Malfoy." 

The young Weasley just stared in shock. Scratching his head, Jacob decided to do what he thought was the only thing he could do. He took off his red and gold scarf and put it to Malcolm's face. 

"Here. Clean yourself up." The red head said softly. Malcolm cautiously began to wipe away the blood. Jacob turned towards where his parents were going, and watched them enter the ally. "I _do_ believe you, but if Anthony's hurt, don't plan on being happy any time soon." 

The pain Anthony was feeling was indescribable to the tall eleven-year old. He couldn't even bear to open his mouth, because he feared that if he unclenched his teeth, he would swallow them and die a slow and painful death. His bright blue eyes were squeezed closed so tightly that Anthony could feel his eyelashes boring into his cheeks. All the young boy knew was that he was not going to fall down in front of the Malfoys; he was not going to let them see him down. 

"PERTIFICUS TOTALUS!" Two voices boomed. Almost immediately, the pain shooting through Anthony's body stopped, and he fell to the ground. He felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him, lifting him up off the ground. The familiar feeling of the arms helped the boy relax slightly, and he knew that he was going to be okay.

"Oh Ron, is he awake?" Mommy! Anthony's head screamed. The voice of his mother made him want to cry with happiness, but the action would take took much energy.

"He's breathing, let's get him back to Hogwarts." Ron said, his voice cracking. Anthony felt the small fingers of his mother comb themselves through his hair, and he wished he could tell her that he was fine. But…he wasn't. It was then that he fell unconscious. 

"I hate this place, God, I spent so much time here." Hermione cried softly, wiping her tears away. Ron wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, knocking his head softly with hers. 

Anthony was under a large amount of Sleeping Potion, and Madam Pomfrey had predicted that today he was going to wake up. It was nearly noon, and the boy hadn't so much as stirred.

They sat in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, on the edge of a bed adjacent to their son's. Jacob was asleep on the bed, tossing and turning. He hadn't slept since the incident, and Hermione prayed that these few moments would turn into a few hours for her troubled son. Emily sat on her father's lap, her head buried into his shoulder. All Ron could do for his little girl was rock her slowly as he watched his son. 

The other Weasley's attending Hogwarts were in the room as well, all sitting quietly at the end of the two beds. Marauder slept silently at the end of the bed, by Anthony's feet. Harry stood to the side, pacing back and forth, recalling his many experiences in the Hospital Wing. 

The door of the large room creaked open, and Harry turned to see who was entering. James Lupin peered in, smiling sadly at Harry. The auburn haired boy turned around, and when he entered the room, Taylor Parkinson joined him. The girl was paler than usual, and her eyes immediately darted towards the unconscious red head. 

She seemed paralyzed at the door, and James took her hand, trying to pull her closer. Taylor just shook her head, and began to turn around. 

"Taylor, please!" James pleaded, struggling to keep her in the room. Harry left his family and joined the two young Gryffindors by the door. Taylor stared up at him in shock and James let go of her hand. He nodded softly at his Professor, and headed towards the family. 

"How are you, Taylor?" Harry asked softly. Her eyes darted to the ground and she began to play with her fingernails. 

"Not so good, Professor." She admitted quietly. Harry felt so much remorse for the young girl, and he put his arm around her shoulders. Taylor looked up at him quickly, clearly confused. 

"Come on, you'll want to be there when he wakes." He began to walk forward, but Taylor kept her feet planted.

"I can't…I'm the reason he's here, his family won't want me there." She turned her head away as tears began to brim at her eyes. "He won't want to talk to me ever again." 

Harry sighed and tugged at her again. 

"They know it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything but grow up into a very sweet girl. Come on, I'm sure Anthony will be happy to see you." At last, Taylor let her feet move, and the two headed towards the Weasleys.

Anthony's eyes rolled under his eyelids. Soft voices were heard around him…soft, familiar voices.

"_Mmm…where am I_?" He thought, scrunching his nose. "_My nose itches_." And he scratched his nose. 

The voices in the room fell silent, and an eerie calm fell over him. Anthony rolled his shoulders and slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He stared up at the ceiling of…_what room was this? God my head hurts. _Hetook a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Lolling his head to the side, his eyes fell upon his family, and he smiled softly. 

"Hi." He whispered. Hermione quickly jumped off of the other bed and sat on Anthony's, touching her son's face. He smiled and stared at his mother lovingly. Marauder woke up at the sudden shake of the bed. The kitten must've realized that Anthony was awake, because he trotted over to him, purring softly as he rubbed against his face.

"Oh Anthony, how are you feeling?" She said, ready to cry. He just shrugged and tried to sit up. Hermione propped some pillows up behind him, and he answered,

"I'm tired." He said simply. Ron snorted and came over with Emily still in his arms. He ruffled his son's hair and Emily slid out of her father's arms and onto Anthony's bed. She hugged him around the neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. The young boy hugged her back, laughing as she gave him a few more kisses on the cheek. 

Mary, Fred, George, Annie, Brian, and James hurried to the other side of the bed, and immediately began to tell Anthony everything that had happened. Taylor stayed behind, but she sent him a weak smile that Anthony returned. 

"You're a _hero_!" George exclaimed, patting the bed. Anthony blushed and looked down at his hands. 

"Yeah!" Fred continued. "Richard has been expelled, Malcolm has a detention _every day_ for who knows _how_ long, and Stephen is heading towards Azkaban right as we speak!" 

"You've been asleep for four days Ant, have any good dreams?" Brian asked, sitting on the bed. Anthony looked up at his cousin, and then at his mother.

"Four days? But, that means…" The thought of missing his and his brother's birthday hit Anthony hard in the gut. Emily still had her arms around her brother, and she gave him a soft hug. Hermione took his hand and stared into his bright blue eyes. She was going to tell him not to worry, when a new voice spoke.

"No worries, I didn't open any presents." Anthony turned quickly to the voice and saw that Jacob was sitting on the adjacent bed, smiling brightly. He returned the smile and Jacob came over. "You woke up on the best day, you lucky bloke." 

Anthony stared at him, confused. Four days from the twenty-first…

"Is it Christmas?" He asked, looking around at everyone. They all smiled and nodded, and with a swish of his wand, Ron sent sparks around the room. 

Immediately, all the curtains were strung with holly, and Christmas lights blinked all over. The bed next to Anthony's filled with presents, and Anthony immediately recognized the gifts he had bought in Hogsmeade. 

"You waited for me?" He said, almost not believing it. Hermione touched his face softly.

"Of course! What's Christmas without family?" 

"Come on Ant!" Emily exclaimed, jumping off the bed and rushing towards the presents. "I want you to open yours first! It's from me, Mommy, and Daddy!" 

Anthony smiled brightly as Emily brought over a bright blue box. She plopped it on his lap, and waited anxiously for him to open it. 

Slowly, he tore apart the paper, and when he opened it, sparks of every different color flew out. Emily began to giggle with delight and the others soon joined it. It was a joke in the family that one of the presents was always jinxed, and Anthony seemed to get it every year. 

"That's not funny!" He laughed as he stared at the box. His eyes widened as he realized what it was. "A camera!" He squealed happily, then blushing at his reaction. Hermione and Ron laughed as he opened the box. 

"We know you've been wanting one for a while," Ron explained. "There's already a roll of film in there, do you know how to put new film in?" 

Anthony looked up at his father with a strange look. "Dad…you just flick this switch." Ron's face reddened. Harry laughed and turned to Mary.

"Poor Ron was having a hell of a time trying to figure it out." The room filled with laughter, and the others began to open their presents as well. 

By the next half an hour, everyone in the room was wearing a traditional Weasley sweater (except for Jacob, who was proudly sporting his new Cannons jersey). 

Anthony's gifts were a huge hit with the family, and he was very pleased that they all enjoyed them. For his mother, he bought her a photo album that would reveal messages from the people in the pictures if you waved your wand over it. Ron received a miniature Quidditch set for his office (because Anthony knew that the office didn't work that hard). Emily now had a brand new set of dolls, all based on her favorite Disney princesses (Hermione made sure that her children grew up with the same things she had). 

The shock on Jacob's face when he saw his jersey was perfect, Anthony snapped a picture of it, and of course, Hermione put it in her photo album. For his cousins and friends, they each received what looked like to be a red and gold whistle.

"It's for the Quidditch games, or whenever we need to show Gryffindor pride." Anthony explained. "Try it out, just blow into it." His friends stared oddly at him, but they did what they were told. From the whistles erupted a tremendous lion's roar, causing Madam Pomfrey to shriek and drop her tray of medicine. She demanded that they all left the Hospital Wing immediately. 

They all agreed, but not before Hermione fussed over her son one last time. Anthony had to literally pull his mother's hands off of his pillows to get her to leave ("Mum! If they were any fluffier they'd be clouds!). 

Everyone headed out of the infirmary, but just as Madam Pomfrey was beginning to close the curtains, Taylor stopped her. Anthony watched as Taylor whispered something to the old woman. The look in the nurse's eyes seemed to tell Anthony that she was a bit confused. Amazingly, she let Taylor in behind the curtains. The young Weasley immediately blushed. 

The two just stared at each other for a while, not really knowing what to say. Taylor stood at the end of the bed, rubbing the sleeping Marauder's ears. Anthony remained propped up against the very fluffy pillows, just watching her. Finally, Taylor spoke up.

"I have something for you." She said quickly. Anthony's eyes widened a bit.

"Really?" He asked, clearly shocked. Taylor blushed and nodded. She stuck her hand into her cloak's pocket and came around the side of the bed, so that she was next to him. Slowly, as though she thought it might hurt, Taylor sat on the bed. Anthony wished he could control the blood that rushed to his face, but of course, he couldn't. 

"It's nothing fancy." She explained, pulling a box out of her pocket. It wasn't wrapped, but was thin, long, and black. "It just…well, open it." She said as she handed him the box. 

Anthony took the box carefully, and he popped off the lid. He smiled at the demur inside it. It was a simple gold chain, with three charms attached. One was of a camera (he had spoken to her many times about how he had wanted one.), then there was the crest of Gryffindor, and the last one confused him. 

"Is this half a heart?" He asked, pointing to the charm. Taylor nodded, looking away. Anthony noticed that her ears were bright red.

"Yes. It-it's normally for best friends, they each wear half of the heart. I don't think we're best friends…so I erased the 'best' part with a charm or two." She turned towards him, smiling softly. "I told you, I've never had a real friend before and now…oh, thank you Anthony!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a huge hug.

The young boy was a bit shocked at her actions, but he quickly relaxed and hugged her back. He noticed Taylor's rapid breaths, and he let go of her to look at her. She was crying softly, and she tried to stop. 

"I'm so sorry I got you into this, I shouldn't have come to Hogwarts, my mother said I shouldn't have." Her tears fell more freely now. "You could've been killed, Anthony, oh God, if you had died…" Her voice drifted off as she looked away from him.

He simply took her hand in his. He heard her gasp slightly and she looked back at him. Anthony smiled softly.

"Taylor, don't blame this on yourself, just because you've got some…er…bad blood, doesn't mean that you're the one that's wrong. All you've been is nice to me, and you've been a great friend, a great person…there's nothing wrong with you." He let go of her hand to put the necklace on. "Are you wearing the other half?" Taylor nodded slowly, pulling it out from under her shirt. "Good, only take it off to sleep, alright? So now you can be really happy." 

"Oh Anthony…I don't think I'll ever be really happy." She whispered, wiping her tears away. It was then that Anthony remembered the gift he had bought her. 

"Oy! I have something for you too!" Taylor stared at him oddly as he crawled off of his bed, and to the pile of wrapping paper that was still on the adjacent bed. He dug through the paper and finally pulled out a small box, about the shape of a ring case. It was wrapped in glittery pink foil, and had streams of ribbon on top. Anthony turned and smiled, handing her the box. "Merry Christmas, Taylor."

All the girl could do was stare in shock. Finally, she smiled and took the box out of his hands. Anthony crawled back on the bed and watched as she carefully took the paper off. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about the gift. It had taken him a long time to find her something that he thought would make her day, and when he did, all he could do was pray that she liked it. 

Under the pink foil was a simply gray box. Taylor stared at it oddly, and then to Anthony. He rolled his eyes.

"Open it!" He laughed, pushing her shoulder. Taylor giggled and nodded. With her thumb, she flicked the box open, and suddenly, the noise of the room disappeared. 

It was replaced by a soft music, a lone violin. A stream of multi-colored light flew out of the box and towards the ceiling, where it burst into specks of glitter and bubbles. They floated down onto the two first years and hovered around them. Anthony smiled brightly at the look of astonishment on Taylor's face. 

"What is this?" She asked him, catching a bubble in her hand. Anthony scooted next to her, flicking a piece of glitter off of his nose. 

"It's a _Serene Box_." Anthony explained. "Whenever you need to just relax, you open this box and this is what happens to you and anyone within two meters of you. I thought…I thought it would help you relax." 

"It's beautiful, I love it." She whispered. She closed the box, and the glitter and bubbles fell to the floor. The violin finished its last measure, holding the note for four beats. 

Taylor turned to him, really not knowing what to say. Anthony sat Indian-style on the bed, smiling happily at her. She slid off the bed and came to his side, taking the charms of his necklace between her thumb and index fingers. Anthony noticed how close she was to him; he felt his face heat up.

"I'm glad you like it. Taylor, I…I think..." He stopped, then leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Taylor smiled and wrinkled her nose happily. Anthony poked her nose and the two giggled. 

"We're only eleven, you know." She said, crossing her arms across her chest. Anthony shrugged and leaned back into his pillows, smiling.

"It doesn't matter, unless you don't…" His eyes narrowed, staring strangely at her. Taylor rolled her eyes and leaned forward, kissing his nose. Anthony's smile returned, brighter then before.

"What do you think?" She smiled, walking away from him. "Take a nap, feel better." She started to open the curtains when she saw the pout on Anthony's face. "Aren't you too mature for this?" Taylor giggled. Anthony began to laugh as well as Taylor came back to his side. The two just stared at each other, lost in the moment.

"You'll be my friend forever?" He asked suddenly, causing Taylor's eyes to widen a bit. The awkward silence made Taylor wanted to open the Serene Box again. The pause scared Anthony, and he looked away, thinking he ruined everything.

"Anthony…" Taylor whispered. The red head barely looked back as she continued. Taylor bit her lip and grabbed the edge of the bed. "Look at me…" 

Anthony took a deep breath, regretting his question, and he turned. Taylor's lips caught his and the two kissed softly. When the girl pulled away, she giggled at the astonished look on his face.

"Yes." She said simply, waving and striding out of the curtains. Anthony watched the white sheets swish back and forth, and then he sighed happily, falling back onto his pillows to take a nap. 


	7. Changes, for the better, of course

This chapter is a lot shorter than my others…cause it's the end of my documentation of their first year. (I'm sort of doing this in a seasonal sort of way…First year is fall and winter…fourth year is winter to spring…and seventh year will be spring to summer)

Weasley's the Name- Chapter 6 

The twins headed home the next day, giving the family a week and a half together. Hermione fussed over Anthony the entire time, giving the boy very little privacy. Finally, around twelve thirty on the first day of the New Year, Anthony was finally alone, trying to fall asleep. 

It was hard thinking about how his life was going to be from now on. He expected people to stare at him oddly, and whisper things in the hallways as he passed. Knowing Hogwarts' reputation of gossip, he was sure that by the time they returned from break all the students would know. 

Anthony rolled onto his back to stare up at his ceiling. It was enchanted to look like the night sky, a great charm his mother had found. He watched as a shooting star shot across it, and he closed his eyes, making a wish. 

He wished for the rest of his stay at Hogwarts to be uneventful, no matter how boring it would be. At least have nothing dangerous happen to his family or friends. Anthony was starting to believe that he actually belonged in Gryffindor, and he knew that he would stand his ground against Stephen all over again.

There was a knock at the door. It creaked open, and Jacob peered in.

"You awake?" He whispered, coming in without having Anthony answer.

"I haven't been able to fall asleep." Anthony said, sitting up. Jacob crept to his bed, trying not to make any noise, and then he sat on the end. 

"Neither have I. Dad and Mum are making a lot of noise down there with Professor—I mean, Uncle Harry and Ginny. I think they had a little too much too drink." 

The boys laughed at the thought of their parents being tipsy, but then Jacob's face turned serious.

"What was it like?" He asked softly. Anthony looked down at his hands and sighed softly. "If you don't want to talk about it…" Jacob said quietly, backing away. His twin just shook his head.

"No, it's okay." Anthony said, looking up. "It's just that…well, I don't really remember." Jacob's eyes widened.

"How could you not remember?" He asked, clearly astonished. 

"I remember what I was thinking. But I don't remember the pain, weird, right? I didn't think it was _possible _at the time, but I have. I just woke up really exhausted." Anthony explained.

"What were you thinking?" Jacob asked, really wanting to know, but not sure if he should be asking. He watched as his brother took a deep breath; Jacob knew that Anthony had not told anyone about those terrible ten minutes of his life. 

"I kept telling myself…" He paused, trying to remember what he was telling himself, it hurt his head to recall the thoughts. "I kept telling myself not to fall. Richard…he had smashed my face to the ground, and when he pulled me up, I promised I wouldn't fall again." 

"Who'd you promise?" Jacob asked simply. Anthony shrugged uncomfortably. 

"You guys, I guess. You, Mum, Dad, Emily. All the Weasleys and Potters, all the Gryffindors. Taylor, especially." He blushed and avoided contact with Jacob as he said his last words. 

Jacob smiled softly at his brother, and the feeling of making his brother uneasy gave him that familiar brotherly feeling. 

"Do you love her?" Jacob asked, biting his lip. Anthony looked up at him in surprise; eyes wide and face beat red. 

"What?" He asked stupidly. Jacob rolled his eyes and crawled onto the bed, sitting crossed legged. 

"You wouldn't have put your life on the line if you didn't." He said slyly, wanting to laugh at his brother's face. Anthony could not think of anything to say, so, he just shrugged.

"I told her I did. But…we're only eleven. Maybe it's just a friendly thing?" He said, a little sadly. Jacob shook his head roughly,

"Nah, it's possible. Mum once told me that she knew Dad was the one for her the moment she saw him. He was just too slow to realize it until their seventh year."

"But they were always fighting! Uncle Harry said they never went a day without arguing!" Anthony exclaimed, clearly not understanding. Jacob just rolled his eyes.

"She said that she would push his buttons on purpose just so he would talk to her. And it worked. They only really got angry at each other a few times at Hogwarts." The curly-haired twin said knowingly. 

"How do you know all this? All I ever see is Mum yelling at you." Anthony said, avoiding a smack from his brother. 

"That time in Diagon Alley!" Jacob sighed, remembering the day. "We were alone together for about an hour or two, and you know how Mum doesn't stop talking once she has an audience." The two boys giggled, knowing that the comment about their mother was true. 

The door creaked open again, and Emily peeked in. 

"Hello there Red, come here." Jacob said, motioning for the bed. Emily rubbed her eyes and dragged one of her teddy bears behind her as she found her way to the bed. Jacob pulled her up onto his lap, hugging her around the waist. "What are you doing up?"

"Daddy's singing." She said sleepily, leaning back into Jacob. The two boys tried to contain their giggles to listen to their father. Sure enough, the tallest red head in the house was belting out a tune that the three didn't know. Their giggles couldn't be suppressed anymore, and the siblings began to laugh ecstatically. 

They sat in Anthony's room for about another hour, and it was a while before the boys realized that Emily had fallen asleep in Jacob's arms. The boys too was getting ready to fall asleep; Jacob's eyes were drooping and he yawned between almost every word. Slowly, he lifted Emily up in his arms, and made his way towards the door. 

"Jacob?" Anthony called. His brother turned, the little girl still fast asleep in his arms. 

"What?" He said drowsily. Anthony shrugged softly, squirming a bit.

"You really believed, at the sorting, that we were both going to be in Gryffindor together?" 

Jacob smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I was just wondering when _you_ would realize it." 

Anthony smiled as well, nodding softly. Jacob heading towards the door, and was pulling the handle when Anthony said,

"I want to cause some havoc. It'll be fun…as long as we don't get caught, of course." He winked at his brother, who was clearly excited,

"We can show how daring Gryffindors can _really _be."

_Yay! Fourth year is coming soon! Thanks to Silver Dragon Princess for reviewing from the beginning __J__ Thanks! ___


	8. Fourth Year Grievances

I don't own any of JKR's characters…duh (I might own their children though)

**Weasley's The Name - Fourth Year - Chapter 1**

"Good _Godric_ there is _no _way this is happening!" Jacob Weasley exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. Other students tried to look over his shoulders, though it was hard because the teen was almost six feet tall and hovered over them by about four inches. Jacob ripped the pink paper off the wall and started down the hallway.

He stormed passed many different students, not noticing the glares from the boys he received, and the goggling eyes of the girls. Jacob was probably one of the most popular students of Hogwarts, even though he was only in his fourth year. 

He and his brother had been known to play very different and unique pranks on their fellow students (mainly Slytherins), although they were never caught, partly because of Anthony's neurotic attitude of getting caught and expelled. Everyone knew that the Weasley twins were the cause, but somehow, they managed to escape detentions. 

Quite possibly the best Keeper since Oliver Wood, Jacob had been on the team since he tried out in his second year, and has _yet _to let an opposing team score. His unruly curls had been shaved off the moment he made the team ("For aero-dynamic purposes…") and he had been slowly growing it back, because he found out that the girls seemed to enjoy his long hair.

The doors of the Great Hall were already open, to Jacob's dismay. He wanted to slam them open and make a huge entrance. Instead, he just quickly stomped his way up to his brother, who was quietly writing on a long piece of parchment. Jacob threw himself on the bench and slammed his head onto the table.

Anthony jumped up in surprise, turning towards his brother.

"I hope your hard head took most of the blow." He said, trying not to laugh. Jacob turned his head slightly, and stuck him arm straight at his brother, the piece of pink parchment still in his grip. "Oh, the ball. You _just _found out?" Anthony giggled, returning to his paper. 

The paper that was crumbled in Jacob's hand was a flyer done by a trio of seventh year Hufflepuffs. The three girls were all Muggle-born and since their first year, they had been petitioning and planning a ball for Valentine's Day. Professor Sprout had promised them that if they each received the top three amounts of N.E.W.T.S. and O.W.L.S. that they would be able to hold it. They had. The head of the group was the year's valedictorian. 

Jacob stared oddly at his brother. "You _know_ about this catastrophe?" Anthony's ears turned red and Jacob knew immediately why. He rolled his eyes and sat up, rubbing his forehead. "Oh, _Taylor_ already told you?" 

Anthony nodded sheepishly. He and the beautiful blonde (who had happened to walk into the Great Hall at that time) were…really good friends. The two had not kissed since their first year, and had decided to wait until they were sixteen…mainly because both of their parents had said that they had to. 

"What are you saying about me?" She asked, sliding next to Anthony. The young girl had grown quite tall and had become an extremely close friend to the twins. Her grades were only challenged by Anthony's, and the little rivalry they had sometimes caused the two to bicker like children. 

"Nothing, Jacob's just worried about the ball." Anthony mumbled, going back to his paper. Taylor eyed him oddly, and then leaned back to look at Jacob.

"Why are you worried? You can get any girl in the school to go with you." She said nonchalantly, pulling her bag onto the table. "It's that you can't dance, right?" 

Jacob sighed and banged his head on the table again. Taylor just giggled and took out some parchment, starting her Charms homework.

"Oh, he can dance, he's just debating on whether or not to ask Alex—OW!" Anthony bit his bottom lip as he tried to keep his scream inside. Jacob smiled, sitting up; his twin wanted to hex him. 

"She'll say yes." Taylor said quietly, barely looking up from her paper. The twins turned to her, eyes wide.

"Re-really?" Jacob asked excitedly, jumping out of his seat and squeezing between Taylor and Anthony. "Does she talk about me?" He asked as Anthony nudged him roughly in the ribs.

Taylor batted her eyes, not looking at the anxious red head. Jacob pulled the parchment out from under her quill, causing the girl to send him an angry glare. 

"_Yes_." She said as she took her paper back. "But…she comes with…a lot of baggage." She whispered, making sure no one heard her. 

At this, Anthony and Jacob tilted their heads at the exact same moment, clearly confused. Taylor looked away and huffed. "_I_ can't exactly tell you, now can I? _You're_ going to have to talk to her." 

Jacob moaned and put his head in his hands. 

"I'm no good at talking to girls." He sighed. Anthony stopped writing and took a deep breath, wanting to help his brother. His eyes scanned the room, but the figures that stood on the other side were just blurry images. Anthony smirked. 

The blurry images had been appearing quite frequently as of late, and the migraines his eyes caused him had noticeably affected his grades. Constant headaches were very common to the young boy, because of the events of his first year, but he was certain that his eyes were now playing a bigger part. 

Shaking his head, he looked at his brother. As he came into focus, barely, an idea popped into his head.

"Why don't you ask James?" He said quickly, holding back a smile. Jacob turned around and smirked viciously at his twin.

"I don't need advice from him! _You_ should talk to him you stupid git." He exclaimed. Anthony rolled his eyes. 

During their second year, James Lupin had revealed to them that he was half Veela, the reason behind the girls' immense attraction to him. Of course, this made all the boys envious and just a _little_ agitated around him.

"I don't need any advice." Anthony huffed, rubbing the space between his eyes. At this, Taylor snorted. Anthony turned quickly to her, staring daggers into the blonde. 

"What does _that _mean?" He asked, almost squeaking. The girl just rolled her eyes as Jacob noticed the tension. He slowly got up, and walked towards the end of the table where some Gryffindor boys were sitting.

"Well?" Anthony asked Taylor, with a bit of a nasty tone. The girl blew a strand of her hair out of her face and continued to scribble on her parchment. "What can_ I _learn from James?" He put his quill down, well, _slammed _his quill down. Taylor jumped slightly at the impact, and she slammed hers down as well. 

"_PLENTY!_" She shouted, sliding all of her belongings into her bag and brushing past a few students out of the Great Hall. 

Anthony's face burned red as he noticed some Slytherins snickering at him. He too gathered up his things and headed out the door to find Taylor. 

Jacob slid next to his two cousins, Brian and George Weasley. The brothers were very involved in a conversation about something…though they immediately stopped once Jacob took his seat. On the other side of the table sat James Lupin, who was reading quietly, and taking notes. 

"Who's going to the ball?" Jacob asked abruptly, not bothering to say hello to the boys. James looked up, immediately blushing. Brian choked on his own breath, and George just rolled his eyes. 

"Why, scared?" He said, looking at his younger cousin. Jacob smirked at him, and huffed.

"I just want to know how you're asking your date, or, er…_yeah_, how _are_ you asking your dates?" 

"_Merlin_ you're a pain in the ass." Brian sighed, his ears burning. "Well…just go up to her and ask her, it's not that hard...not that I've asked anyone." He finished his answer, his face completely red. George, however, didn't buy it.

"Who are _you_ going with?" The older brother asked immediately, shoving his little brother in the shoulder. Brian just shut his eyes, trying not to notice this brother's constant shoving. 

"What about you?" Jacob asked James, already knowing the answer. James bit his lip and looked at his friend, his blush deepening.

"Me? Well…I don't have a date yet, if that's what you're asking." He said to Jacob's surprise. 

"Really? Well, who are you planning on asking?" The red head asked, clearly interested. The blush on James' face deepened as he avoided Jacob's eyes. 

"Er…I don't know, not important though, right?" He stuttered, sending a weak smile towards him. 

It was then that a very pretty third year Gryffindor girl joined the boys, smiling brightly. Rebecca Lupin had long auburn hair that reached the small of her back, and hazel eyes that seemed to sparkle. Her teeth seemed to glisten and the way she batted her eyelashes made all the boys (except James of course) feel a little queasy (in that good way). 

"Oh _Jimmy_!" She exclaimed happily. James rolled his eyes as he turned around to look at his sister.

"What do you want?" He sighed, knowing that Rebecca wouldn't stop talking once she started. 

"You do know that only fourth year students and up are allowed to go to the ball, _right_?" Rebecca said, smiling madly. Jacob's eyes widened as he saw Lilly Potter and Cassiopeia Black sitting at the table behind theirs, giggling like mad.

"Yes…I do." He said, clearly annoyed. "What does that have to do with me?" 

"Would you like to go with Lilly?" Rebecca asked quickly, biting her lip. Jacob watched as James' face turned a deep shade of red. 

Rebecca, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes. 

"It wouldn't be anything serious, it's just that all three of us really want to go and Cassie and I both have dates…" 

"Becca! I'm not just some toy you can pass around to your friends!" He hissed, pulling his sister's arm and making her sit next to him. Rebecca blew some hair out of her face. 

"_Fine!_ You're so touchy!" She groaned, putting her elbow on the table and her head in that hand. James' face continued to burn bright, until he turned to look at his sister.

"Wait a minute…_you _have a date?" James asked, his over protective brother side coming into play. Rebecca's cheeks reddened and she avoided eye contact with her brother. 

Jacob began to laugh, out of pure enjoyment and relief. He was happy that Emily was only in her first year and that no boy in his right mind would ask her to go (She _was _in first year after all!).

James sent Jacob an angry stare, then turned back to his sister. 

"Who are _you_ going with?" He asked, clearly annoyed. Rebecca now covered her face with both of her hands. 

"I'll tell you if you find Lilly a date." She looked up at her brother, a mischievous smile on her face. James' expression changed dramatically, and he pushed his sister away. 

"Just…just go away." He groaned, pushing her even further away. Rebecca took this as a yes and giggled happily. She kissed her brother on the cheek before she skipped away towards her friends who were also giggling happily. 

James turned to Jacob; his face beat red.   
  
"Can you believe that?" He asked, his voice squeaking. Jacob just smiled, loving the look of exasperation on his friend's face. All the Gryffindor boys knew that James fancied the eldest Potter, though he denied it every time it was brought up (he also turned bright red and stuttered every time it was brought up). 

"So, are you going to go with her? I don't want my little cousin all depressed." The red head said, biting his lip to contain the laughter. Brian and George nodded, forgetting about their little discussion and turning their attention to James. The half-Veela turned even redder. 

"Leave me alone. And why are you spending your time bothering me?" James said, trying to change the subject. Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to go and ask Alexis?" 

"You better ask her before someone else does." George said, leaning back to look at his little cousin. Jacob's eyes narrowed at his words.

"No one would _dare _ask her!" He growled, extremely annoyed at the fact that Alexis wasn't _his _in that sense.

"Why wouldn't they? Alexis is _hot._" Brian chuckled, ducking Jacob's jabs at his head. _Jacob's_ face was now feverishly red, and if George hadn't pushed him back, he seriously would have hurt Brian. 

"Then hurry up and ask her! What are you afraid of?" James said, clearly enjoying the action.

"Now or never, huh?" Jacob said, nodded his head slowly. The boys all nodded and began to pound their fists on the table. "Now or never!" 

The other boys at the table began to laugh, and Jacob turned bright red and buried his head in his hands, laughing as well. 

"Taylor, wait up!" Anthony sighed, quickening his pace. The blonde girl did not even bother to slow down, storming her way past some first year Gryffindor girls, including Emily Weasley.

"Hi Taylor!" The little girl squealed, her curly ponytail bouncing on her neck. Taylor stopped, though by the stiffness of her body, she didn't want to. She turned quickly and smiled at the young girls. 

"Hello there Emily, how are you today?" She said nicely, gritting her teeth. The girls didn't seem to notice her bitterness, they were still in shock that a _fourth_ _year _was talking to them.

"I'm just _grand_, I just got a owl from my mum, and she had some _fantastic _news! She's—oh, _hello_ Anthony! I have to tell you something!" 

Anthony just shook his head and stared at Taylor. She huffed and began to walk away.

"Not now Emily, I need to talk to Taylor." Emily pouted and she grabbed onto her brother's sleeve. 

"But _Anthony_, I have really great news!" Anthony rolled his eyes and shook his sister off,

"I'm busy Emily, please, tell me later." And he left her with her friends to chase after Taylor. The little Weasley pouted again, but then turned back to her friends, who had started giggling over Anthony and Taylor (they all thought it was _quite _amazing that _fourth years _actually stopped to talk to them).

"Taylor! _Please, _I'm sorry for being rude." He had finally caught up with her in front of the portrait hole. Taylor was about to tell the Fat Lady the password when she stopped and swung around to face Anthony. 

"You really have _no idea_ why I'm upset, do you?" She said, crossing her arms. Anthony shuffled his feet and bit his lip.

"Well, I would assume it was that I was being rude?" He asked, instead of actually knowing the answer. Taylor closed her eyes for a few seconds before she opened them again, and Anthony realized that she had tears had formed. 

"Aw Taylor, I'm sorry. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. Don't cry." He took her hand and pulled her into a hug.

"It's stupid, really." She choked out, wiping her eyes. "It's just me being a silly girl." He chuckled softly, but still kept her in his arms. 

"What did I do?" He asked, smoothing out her long hair. Taylor pulled away from him, but not far, because his arms were still wrapped around her waist. 

"It's about the ball…you went on bothering Jacob about asking Alexis…but Anthony, you haven't asked _me_ yet." At that, Anthony smiled brightly. 

"I just _assumed_ that we were going together!" He said happily, pulling her into a hug again. 

"A girl likes to be asked! I told you about the ball _last week_! I thought you weren't going to ask me!" She too laughed, but she still was a little upset. Anthony looked her in the eyes, smiling softly. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just a silly boy, you know that." He whispered, hitting his nose with hers. Taylor giggled softly and nodded.

"Yes, you are a silly boy." The two stood in silence for a few moments, even with the Fat Lady and her friend Violet whispering behind them. Taylor looked up at him, a smirk on her face. "Well? Are you going to ask me?" 

Anthony smiled _his _smile down at her, and Taylor blushed, not realizing it. He always made her heart flutter and when he smiled at her like that…well, she just melted.

"Taylor Parkinson, will you go to the ball with me?" He asked softly, a blush growing on his cheeks. She smiled softly and pushed herself up on her tiptoes, to kiss him softly. Anthony's heart rate immediately increased, and he kissed her back. When they parted, he smiled brightly, and Taylor left his grasp. 

She told the Fat Lady the password ("Dragon Nails") and started through, but before she did, she turned around to face Anthony, who stood there dumbstruck. 

"I'll think about it." Taylor said simply before she entered the common room, leaving him all by himself in the hall. A smile crept on his confused face as he followed her into the common room ("DRAGON NAILS!!"). 


	9. The Good, The Bad, and The Twins

The next day, which was Wednesday and three days before the ball, Jacob decided to finally confront his fears and ask Alexis to be his date. 

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws still had Defense Against the Dark Arts together, and lucky enough for Jacob, Professor Potter had separated the Weasley twins and seated him next to Alexis. Why Professor Potter did this was an event from their second year…

…Two Years Ago…

"I'm only going to ask _once_. _Who _painted the Cornish Pixies?" Professor Potter growled, _extremely_ annoyed. None of the students even dared to move. 

Jacob and Anthony quickly shared a terrified glance; they thought their uncle would find this rather…er…amusing? Jacob had been brave enough to sneak into the room the night before, and Anthony had been clever enough to find a charm that would change their colors. 

"_Now_ because of their new color of a rather unattractive shade of _hot pink_, the pixies do not have that eagerness to cause mischief." Professor Potter left the side of the pixies and stood in front of his desk, staring each of his second years straight in their eyes. 

He hadn't been this angry with a class since Dylan Thomas and his best friend Michael Weasley (Charlie's oldest son) had decided to switch his wand with one of the Weasley's Wizard Weezes' fake ones while he was trying to attack his boggart. 

"This _was _going to be the most exciting lesson of the semester, but since no one is confessing, you're all going to write a five feet long essay on…_how to explain the color blue to a blind person_." Professor Potter smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

All the students stared in shock, their jaws dropped all the way down to their tables. Whispers began to spread throughout the class as the Professor's eyes scanned the room for guilty faces. He immediately stopped at the twins' table. Jacob's eyes remained calm, but the furious blinking of Anthony's made Professor Potter smirk with success.

"Let me make this a little fairer, to the rest of you _honest _students. If the culprit, or, shall I say _culprits, _(he saw Anthony's face turn green) stay after class and confess…then you'll only have to write three feet. Agreed?" 

The small students nodded, all still extremely scared of their angry teacher. 

At the end of class, when they were sure that none of the other students saw them, Jacob and Anthony snuck back into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. 

Professor Potter wasn't surprised, and he sentenced the two to a week's detention with him, and took thirty points away from Gryffindor. To the twins, they had gotten off easy. 

……

Jacob strolled into the classroom, giving high fives to his fellow Quidditch players, Brian and Bridget (who were the team's Beaters). It had been a lucky break for the two fourth years. When they were in their third year, both of the Quidditch team's beaters had graduated the year before, and no other Gryffindors were as skilled as these two were as Beaters. 

Alexis was already sitting in her seat, reading one of their books carefully; twirling a strand of her jet-black hair around her finger. Jacob casually took his seat next to her, not bothering to say hello to her. Alexis looked up slightly and looked him over in quick glance that Jacob didn't notice. 

The other students filed in, Anthony and Taylor hand in hand. James and Brian ran in from behind them, just as the bell sounded that class was in session. A murmur filled the classroom; where was Professor Potter? Normally, he was in the class before any student arrived, or he was ushering his late students into the doors. 

Joseph slid out of his chair and peeked out of the door, looking up and down the hallway. 

"He's no where to be seen!" He exclaimed, jumping on his chair and throwing his arms up. The other students whispered in excitement, for Professor Potter had never been absent. 

Alexis looked up from her book, interested in the current situation. Jacob sent her his million-dollar smile, and she just softly smiled back, although he did see a hint of a blush. 

"How are you today, Miss. Diggory?" He asked, pushing his seat closer to the desk. Alexis pushed some of her hair behind her ear and looked at Jacob. He loved that even if her eyes were narrow, they seemed to be so bright all the time, full of emotion. 

"I'm doing well, Mr. Weasley, and yourself?" It was common for the two to talk so formally to each other, like their own personal way of flirting…or at least, that's how _Jacob _saw it as. 

"I'm bloody brilliant, getting ready for the match this Sunday. It's exciting, don't you think?" 

"Very exciting indeed, I'll be out there cheering you on. You're amazing on the field." She said softly, biting her lip and looking up from her book. Jacob's face reddened and he looked away towards his tangled fingers. 

"Thanks." He said simply. Now or never…now or never…His mind kept repeating the same phrase over and over. "Youhearabouttheball?" He said in one quick breath. 

Alexis' eyes widened and she smiled softly. She nodded, causing her hair to fall in front of her face. 

"Yes, I did. Are you going?" She asked calmly, a blush growing on her cheeks. Jacob really hoped that Alexis did not notice the heat he felt on his face.

"I will…if I have a date." He said softly. "Do…do you have a date?"

Alexis sat up and put her hands on her lap. She stared at them for a while, and Jacob was extremely worried that she was thinking of a way to say no to him. 

"No…I don't."

"Will…would you want to go with me?" He whispered barely audible. Alexis' face blushed so deep, that Jacob thought that she might not be breathing. But, she nodded, and Jacob's heart began to beat again.

"Yes, I'll go with you." He felt his face heat up immediately. 

"Really?" He asked stupidly, like he couldn't believe it. Alexis giggled and nodded.

"Yes, really. I was hoping you'd ask me, I turned down a lot of offers waiting for you." She smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulders.

"Like who…?" Jacob asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Professor Potter entered, a huge smile on his face. 

"Good morning class, splendid day, isn't it?" He said cheerfully, in a very uncharacteristic way. 

The class nodded slowly, wary of their Professor's mood. "I haven't had such a good day in a long time!"

"He hasn't even had his coffee." Brian whispered to James, who snickered softly.

Professor Potter's smile didn't fade for the entire time of the class. He actually discussed Dementors and _laughed_. It didn't take the students long to realize that he was genuinely in the wrong state of mind to be teaching.

After class, Anthony, Jacob, and Brian stayed after to talk to their uncle, although James and Taylor hid outside the door.

"What can I do for you, my boys?" Professor Potter said, sitting in his chair and swinging his legs onto his desk. Jacob and Anthony shared a look, but Brian asked the question.

"What's with the good mood Professor Potter?" He said quickly, raising his eyebrows at his uncle. Professor Potter laughed full heartedly as he put his hands behind his head.

"Call me Uncle Harry! You three _are _my nephews after all." The shock this caused the boys was very confusing to Harry. "What?" 

"We haven't called you 'Uncle Harry' in Hogwarts since we were first years!" Anthony exclaimed, clearly bewildered. "What happened?"

Harry sat up, still smiling widely. 

"Fine fine! I just found out, about ten minutes before I came to class, that you three are going to have a brand new Potter in the family." The smile he had on previously was replaced by a smile ten times that size. 

The boys' also grew a smile on their faces.

"That's awesome!" Jacob shouted, clapping his hands together. Harry nodded furiously, and then he put up his finger. 

"I haven't finished! There is _also _going to be another Weasley!" The boys didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. They, of course, did not _want _another sibling.

"Oh please tell me the Bill and Susan decided to _finally _give Juliet a sibling…" Anthony groaned, remembering that Emily had to tell him something. 

Harry laughed and stood up, putting his hand on Jacob's shoulder. The young Quidditch player's face turned grim immediately.

"Sorry you two, you're going to have a little brother or sister in about eight months." He said, his smile never flickering. Anthony and Jacob groaned as Brian breathed a sigh of relief. Harry began to push them towards the door, laughing at their faces. 

James and Taylor stared at the twins oddly as they began to walk down the hallway like zombies. Professor Potter and Brian were laughing hysterically, and the two just shrugged their shoulders.

On Friday, Anthony and Jacob finally sat down to listen to Emily in the common room. She was quite angry with her uncle for telling the twins the news before she did, and refused to talk to them all of Wednesday and Thursday.

"Mum wanted _me_ to tell you two, that's why she sent _me_ an owl." Emily explained, straightening out her skirt. "She's due in about eight months. I can't wait to have a little sister!" 

"Sister?" Anthony and Jacob said at the same time. Emily looked very cross at their response.

"_Yes, _sister. There is no room for another boy in our house." She said knowingly. The young girl is said to remind her teachers of her mother a _great _deal. Taylor sat down next to the first year and nodded.

"I agree, anyway, baby girls are _so _much cuter than baby boys." She winked at Anthony, who was rather red from her comment. 

"If it's a boy, we can have a makeshift Quidditch team, because Mum doesn't let us play with Bludgers and we lose every Snitch we get." Jacob said excitedly, shoving Anthony in the shoulder. The calmer twin cringed at the thought of having to play Quidditch.

"Maybe it _would _be better if she had a girl." Anthony said, avoiding Jacob's smack. 

"I've always liked Elizabeth." Emily said, writing it down on a piece of paper. Taylor nodded happily. Emily was sitting on the ground with her parchment and ink on the table. Taylor lied on her stomach across the couch, playing with her fingernails. 

"_Natalie_ Weasley." Taylor said simply, and rolled to her side, smiling. Emily's eyes lit up and she quickly scribbled the name down. 

Anthony and Jacob had joined Brian and James at the table, and they were all working on their Divination homework. 

"I actually enjoy this class." James said quietly as he began to explain why Venus had such an affect on the moods of females. "I'm starting to see things in my crystal ball." 

Jacob rolled his eyes, scratching out his entire first paragraph. Anthony looked on, quite disappointed.

"Mum told you not to take that class." He said knowing, tapping his quill on his Muggle Studies book as he smiled smugly at his brother. Jacob glared at his twin, but then just sighed. 

"Yeah well, she also said you and Taylor weren't allowed to date until sixth year." He said this in such a whisper, that Anthony almost didn't hear him. Unfortunately for Jacob, he did.

"What does that matter to you?" He growled, causing the other boys at the table to look up, interested. "You're not going to tell them, are you?" 

Jacob's eyes brightened; he hadn't even thought of the idea. 

"If you keep bothering me, I just might. Chudlina _does _like me better, you know. I can always tell her not to accept letters from you…" 

"That's _not _funny, Jacob." Anthony said, slamming his quill down. "Mum'll have a fit, you _know_ how serious she is about rules and stuff."

"Then _why _are you breaking her rules? I would think, Mr. Good Twin, that you would know better." 

The glare Anthony was sending his brother was one his friends had never seen before. The boy looked literally enraged, and Jacob was beginning to get a tad worried.

"Mr. Good Twin? _Right_. If _I_ wasn't here, you wouldn't be able to perform half the tricks you do, or have you forgotten all _my_ charm work?" He spat, pushing his chair away from the table.

"Are you saying my magic isn't as good as yours?" Jacob said angrily, his face heating up. Their voices were now way above a whisper, and many of the Gryffindors were watching. 

"I didn't say _that_!" Anthony said, standing up and pushing his books into his bag. "What I'm _saying _is that _maybe _you're not the tough guy you and everyone else _thinks _you are!" 

Jacob stared coldly as his brother as silence fell onto the common room. Brian and James didn't dare move from the table, fearing that the movements would cause one of the twins to blow up. 

"You're just _so _smart, aren't you Anthony?" Jacob said, his voice much lower than his brother's had been. The quietness of his voice sent chills throughout the room. "Well, maybe you _should've_ been in Ravenclaw, it would've made things easier for the _both _of us." 

There were a few gasps released by some of the girls in the room. Emily Weasley was completely frozen, never witnessing a fight between her brothers. Taylor was staring, bewildered. 

Anthony didn't know what hurt more, his headache from all the screaming or the fact that his brother admitted he didn't like having him around. He knew that the entire common room was waiting for his response, but he had no idea what he could say to his brother that would hurt more than what he had just said to him. 

Jacob smirked, knowing he had won the argument. He tapped his fingers on the table, daring his brother to retaliate. Yes, the comment had been harsh, but the red head believed that Anthony had deserved it. The stupid git always thought he was so much smarter than Jacob, why should he get away with thinking that?

"Fine." Anthony said finally, nodding and standing up straight, but his voice still cracking slightly. "_Fine_." He began to back away, nodding his head repeatedly as he turned to the stairs up to the common rooms. He paused slightly before he went up, but he finally started to ascend the stairs. Taylor immediately rose and she followed him, sending Jacob a confused look. 

As soon as the two were out of sight, Brian and James turned to Jacob. Emily, Andrew, Joseph, and Bridget immediately reached the table, all asking questions. 

"_I'm _going to tell Mum!" Emily squealed, clearly annoyed at her brother. 

"Don't you _dare_! Chudlina will bite your little fingers off!" He hissed, not even looking up at anyone. He was boring a hole into the wall, and his arms were so tightly crossed against his chest that the stiffness in his shoulders was beginning to hurt. 

Emily huffed and smacked her brother hard on the back of the head before she stormed away up the stairs. The other Gryffindors took this as a sign, and they too headed up to their dormitories. 

Jacob, glad that he was finally alone, broke his gaze from the wall and he turned in his seat, to stare at his books. He put his elbows on the table, and then his head in his hands. Against his own will, tears began to fall down his cheeks, and he sobbed quietly into his hands. 

Why did he have to be such an idiot? Why couldn't he control his temper? Mum was right; he _was _exactly like Dad.


	10. From One Day to the Next

"Don't cry." A soft voice said. Jacob's head shot up quickly, wiping his face and looking for the owner of the voice. Alexis sat in the chair behind him, smiling softly. 

"I thought I was alone." He whispered, covering his mouth. Alexis left her seat to walk over and sit in the chair Anthony had been in. Jacob tried to avoid eye contact, but her presence made him turn to her.

"Do you want to be?" She asked, staring cautiously into his eyes. Jacob thought for a minute, but then shook his head. 

"No." He barely said. He sniffled and rubbed his nose, as Alexis scooted her chair closer to him. 

"Look at me." She said, grabbing his hands. Jacob's eyes quickly darted up to meet hers, and noticed that Alexis was smiling softly.

"Something funny?" He whispered, wondering how awful his tear streaked face looked. No one but his mother had ever seen him cry, and now, the girl he's been infatuated with since the second year was staring at his still falling tears.

"Nothing funny at all." She moved her chair ask close as possible to him, and she squeezed his hands. He felt his ears heat up as he noticed how close they were. "You're not really mad at Anthony." 

Jacob's eyes burned at the mention of his brother, but he knew she was right.

"No, I'm not. He said the truth. I'm not as tough as people think." He said softly, ashamed. 

"You're as tough as you need to be." Alexis said, letting go of his hands and putting hers on his shoulders. "And I like the way you are."

"Really?" He asked, looking up at her. She nodded, and leaned towards him so that their noses touched. Jacob knew what was about to happen, and he couldn't help the burning of his ears and cheeks. 

"_Really._" And she kissed him, softly at first. Her arms moved towards his neck, and Jacob's unconsciously moved around her waist, not knowing what else to do with them. 

They stood up, still kissing, and not even realizing they were standing up. Neither of them had ever been kissed before, but they had always been known to be quick learners.

Taylor reached the fourth year boys' dormitories, and Anthony was nowhere in sight. She knew that she couldn't enter without getting in trouble, but she didn't want to wait until morning to talk to him.

She was about to head up to open the boys' dorm, when a hand grabbed her wrist. Taylor spun around, and saw Anthony standing by her side, smiling weakly. 

"Where did you come from?" She whispered, pulling him close. Anthony shook his head and pulled out his wand; voices could be heard coming up the stairs. 

"_Invisocorpus_." He whispered. Taylor felt her body shake softly, and she looked at Anthony. The Gryffindors that were coming up the stairs passed them, all talking about the fight animatedly, heading towards their dorms. They closed to doors, without a second look at the two. 

"What happened?" Taylor whispered, and she felt her body shake again. Anthony rubbed his head and began to head down the stairs, but he only went down a few steps before he sat. Taylor soon joined him, leaning into his shoulder.

"That charm, I found it in the restricted section of the library. It turns a person invisible for the amount of seconds that correlates with their age. It's how Jacob and I get away with all of our pranks." He smiled shyly as Taylor stared in amazement.

"Awesome, Anthony. _Now_, talk to me. _Silencio._" She whispered, causing the entire stairway to fall silent. 

Anthony gave an annoyed sigh and he turned to stare at the ground in front of him. Taylor slipped her arm under his and pulled him close. 

"He really hates me, doesn't he?" He said softly, turning towards her. "I mean, I should've told the Sorting Hat that I wanted to be in Ravenclaw, Jake's right."

"_No_. Anthony, he was just mad. You know, it's normal for siblings to fight." She said soothingly. He shrugged and continued to stare at the ground.

"I guess _I am_ a bit irritating." He laughed softly, though he really didn't find it funny. Taylor squeezed his arm and shook her head.

"Oh, _stop it_ Anthony. If you were sorted into Ravenclaw, your brother would have been miserable and because he was miserable, the Quidditch team would be horrible, and if the Quidditch team was horrible, that means the Slytherins would win every year, and then we'd _all _be living a nightmare." She said very quickly, a blush creeping on her cheeks as she saw a smile sliding onto Anthony's face.

"I guess. So…you really think he'd be _miserable_?" He asked, turning towards Taylor. 

"_I'd_ be miserable." She whispered. 

A blush grew on his cheeks as he leaned forward, knocking their foreheads.

They just stared into each other's eyes, rubbing their noses. He smiled softly and then brought her into a tight hug.

"I think _you're _the reason I was put into Gryffindor." Anthony breathed into her ear. He smiled and kissed her cheek. Taylor giggled softly, but then pushed him away. 

"Maybe I'm _a_ reason, but so is your brother, and you _do _have to go and talk to him." 

"Aw, right now?" He whined, standing up and putting his hand out to her. Taylor took his hand and nodded as she stood up.

"Yes! It'll only get worse if you wait, come on, I'll even walk you down there." Reluctantly, Anthony followed her down the stairs, trying to think of what he would say to his brother.

"Just say sorry." Taylor said, giving him a sideways hug. Anthony shrugged and the two turned the final corner. "It'll be al---oh!" She whispered, turning away.

Anthony stared into the common room, eyes wide with either amusement or shock. 

Jacob and Alexis were kissing deeply, neither noticing the two onlookers. He had his arms around Alexis' waist and she was barely sitting on the table, her arms around his neck. He held her close, as if not wanting to let go. Anthony noticed the smile that his twin's face seemed to have as he continued to kiss Alexis, and he could only imagine what was racing through his mind.

"We've never kissed like _that_." Taylor whispered, smiling slyly. Anthony winked at her, but shook his head.

"Come on, Mum said _we _couldn't date until sixth year, but she never said anything about Jacob." He laughed softly and started back up the stairs. Taylor pouted, but laughed as well, squeezing Anthony's hand. 

Jacob crept into the dormitory about ten minutes after Anthony had. He slunk to his brother's bed and pulled the curtain open. He wasn't surprised to find his brother sitting up and reading a book, his wand his source of light.

Anthony simply looked up at his twin, his face emotionless. Jacob stared at him as well, and then he quickly punched Anthony in the arm. He closed the curtains, and jumped into his bed.

Anthony rubbed his arm and smiled. His brother had forgiven him. 

On Saturday, Hogwarts was very lively, for it was Valentine's Day and the excitement of the ball was in the air. 

Jacob strolled into the Great Hall, a huge grin on his face. He had never felt so alive and the two bouquets of roses he had behind his back was the final piece of his happiness. Alexis was going to glow with delight, and she was going to kiss him, and they were going to be happy and happy and happy…

Anthony followed his brother, laughing silently. He too had a gift for his girl, although his came in the shape of a white teddy bear. In his other hand, he held a similar bear, although this one was a brown.

The twins didn't even feel embarrassed for carrying such objects; the Great Hall was filled with boys waiting for their valentines to show up. It seemed as if the entire female population of Hogwarts had taken control of the school and was plotting something up in their dorms. Even the female teachers hadn't shown up, and only a few of the male teachers sat at the head table. 

Jacob slid into onto the bench next to James Lupin, who smiled brightly at his friend. 

James wore a deep crimson sweater with a 'J' on it; Grandma Weasley had fallen for the boy's charm when he visited over the summer. He had a single rose on the table in front of him; he had finally collected enough of his Gryffindor courage to ask Lilly to be his valentine. 

"Oy, what a ruckus, you would think these boys have never seen a girl before." James said, taking a sip of his tea. "I bet Rebecca is going nuts. You know, she never told me who asked her to the dance."

"Oh, you know that Ravenclaw, Daniel Martin? He did." Jacob said, not really caring. He was making sure that the flowers were perfect. James slammed his goblet down, ready to go kill the fourth year Ravenclaw who stood only ten feet away from him. But, he decided against it.

"Not worth giving Rebecca a reason for revenge…" He muttered. The twins shared a laugh, and as it died down, girls started to come into the Great Hall. 

Jacob rolled his eyes as squeals were heard all over especially from Bridget Hagrid, who received a rather strange looking cat from a very tiny Hufflepuff named Darwin. She literally picked him up and swung him around, performing what was known as 'Bridget's Hug.'

Emily skipped down the aisle towards her brothers, and squeezed between the two, handing them each a tiny box of chocolates. She always made her brothers special valentines, but never did she expect this…

She received a kiss on both cheeks at the same time from the twins, and she stared oddly at them.

"What was that for?" Emily laughed, completely confused. The boys had never been too keen on Valentine's Day. Anthony smiled at his little sister and handed her the brown teddy bear.

"Happy Valentine's Day, little sister." He said, giving her another kiss on the cheek. Emily giggled in delight and hugged the bear closely. When her grip on the bear wasn't as tight, Jacob handed her one of the bouquets. Emily nearly melted. 

"You guys are the best brothers ever!" She squealed, hugging them both around the necks at the same time. The siblings all laughed and played with the bear, until someone shoved Anthony. He looked up, and Taylor stood by him, smiling brightly. 

"Here you go, love." She said sweetly, handing him a red book. He looked at the cover and read the title, 

"A Thousand and One Charms for the Young Wizard's Soul. This is great! Thank you Taylor! Here, this is for you." He handed her the white teddy bear, and the blonde girl tried to contain the squeal that was rising up her throat. 

"It's adorable!" She finally squealed, sitting down next to him and planting a big kiss on his cheeks. Anthony blushed furiously and gave her a sideways hug as Taylor began to make the bear dance on the table. 

"Blimey, where's Alexis?" Jacob groaned, pushing away from the table and getting up to go and look for her. Quickly, Taylor put down the bear, and stood in front of her friend.

"No! Er…she's coming, she just wants to look extra pretty." The blonde said, as she stayed in front of Jacob. He stared at her oddly, and they danced around each other, until Jacob spun her around and into Anthony. 

"I'll surprise her in the common room then!" He shouted back at her, though the blonde still tried to stop him. 

"Jake! I really wouldn't surprise her…" She called, although he was already at the doors of the Great Hall. 

Jacob walked briskly down the eerily empty corridors of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was a slight skip in his walk, and he whistled happily. 

As he passed Professor McGonnagal (who always kept an eye out for the young teen), he pulled one of the roses out of Alexis' bouquet and he handed it to her, bowing down slightly. The Professor couldn't help but smile as she thanked him (although she did check for any charms on the flower).

The red head was about to turn into the hallway that led to the portrait of the Fat Lady, when he heard a voice.

"The ball? Me? Oh, I'd love to!" A horrifyingly familiar voice sang happily. Jacob stopped dead in his tracks as he finally saw who was down the hallway. 

Alexis was standing by a window, tossing her hair over her shoulder, smiling from ear to ear. In front of her, actually, almost on top of her, was a sixth year Gryffindor by the name of Ryan Mitchell. He too was smiling brightly, his blonde hair falling in front of his eyes. He was the captain of the Quidditch team, and _used _to be Jacob's idol. 

Jacob literally felt his chest tighten and he coughed, because it hurt. It hurt a lot. Alexis turned at his cough and her face paled. Ryan also turned, but he just smiled and waved to Jacob.

"Oy! Hey Jacob, have the festivities started in the Great Hall yet?" He asked, clearly not feeling the tension. 

The red head nodded his head as his blue eyes bore holes into Alexis. She was obviously avoiding eye contact and had managed to hide herself behind Ryan. 

"You okay man?" Ryan said, tilting his head. "You look sick." 

Jacob felt a twinge in his eyes and he started pass the two, shoving past Ryan. He threw the flowers to Alexis' feet, and he turned around, smiling smugly at them.

Alexis' eyes were wider than they've ever been, and Ryan was just confused. The red head continued to walk backwards towards the Fat Lady's portrait.

"I've _never_ felt like this before. Complete. _Unbearable_. Pain." He nodded knowingly at Alexis, and then turned to the Fat Lady.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." She said soothingly, realizing the situation. Jacob just forced a smile, tears at his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Mandrakes." And he swept into the Gryffindor tower. 

"Are you _ever_ going to come out?" Anthony groaned, peeking into the curtains of his brother's bed. It was about ten minutes before the ball was to start, and Anthony was getting worried about his brother. He saw that Jacob was sitting in the center of his bed, hexing a tiny red-cloaked Quidditch player to smack into the post of his bed. 

"Not tonight." The angry twin growled. Anthony sighed and crawled onto his brother's bed, not feeling right for leaving him.

"You want to see something funny?" Anthony said, reaching into his pocket. Jacob looked up slightly, although his face was still emotionless. Anthony pulled out a rounded box and flipped it open, revealing a pair of wire rim glasses. He put them on his face, and waited for Jacob's comments. 

"You look stupid." His twin said simply, turning back to the Quidditch player, this time, sending it through his curtain and out the window. It didn't come back. 

"Thanks. Madame Pomfrey just conjured them up for me." Anthony said, smoothing out his dress robes. They were a shade of navy blue that brought out the young boy's light eyes, even if they were behind his new spectacles. Jacob's robes, which were gold, had been thrown under his bed. 

"_Nice_. Why are you here? Don't you have to go and pick up Taylor?" Jacob said bitterly, looking up at his brother. 

"She's always late. Anyway, I was hoping you'd go." Anthony said, cringing at the though of his brother attacking him at that moment. 

"Are you mad? It'll be _mortifying_. _She'll _be there." He moaned, lying back on his bed. Jacob took in a deep breath. "Why do you reckon' she did it?" He asked quietly, his mood clearly shown in his voice. Anthony couldn't recall his brother speaking so softly and sadly. 

The fair-haired twin shrugged his shoulders and pushed his glasses up his nose. 

"Maybe that was the baggage Taylor was talking about?" He suggested. Jacob sighed. 

"Maybe. She didn't seem like the sort, did she?" 

"Like a strumpet? Absolutely not." Anthony said, standing up. "I really think you should go, it'll be fun, and you _know _there will be some girls asking you to dance." 

Jacob just moaned again and put his pillow over his face. 

"Who says 'strumpet' nowadays?" He mumbled.

Anthony sighed and left, closing the door quietly behind him. 

He waited until the sounds of his brother's footsteps diminished, and then Jacob opened his curtains to the empty room. He stared at the floor; angry at the golden robes he would not be able to wear. One of his sleeves was visible, and Jacob pulled at it with his foot. 

It was a shame to let them go to waste, but how could he go down there? It was embarrassing enough that he had walked around these past few days telling everyone he was going with Alexis, but to go down there by himself while she danced with some idiot? That was impossible. Plus, it would hurt too much.

Jacob felt as if his heart had been torn apart. His first kiss was to a girl that completely ripped him to pieces. Why did she accept his offer? Was it some sick game? Why did she help him after the fight with Anthony? Nothing made sense, and really, Jacob didn't want to know. He was going to ignore her for the rest of their time at Hogwarts. She was not going to make him blush or stutter anymore, he was going to be a changed man. 

"I can't let her win." He mumbled to himself. Jacob reached down and pulled his robes out from under his bed. He stood up, and realized they were very wrinkled. He took his wand out of his pocket and muttered some charms, and soon the robes looked as good as new. 

In about ten minutes, Jacob was admiring himself in the mirror. His mother had done a good job choosing robes for him.

"I look good." He whispered, smiling softly.

"_Yes! You do! Go get em' tiger!_" The mirror said in response. Jacob blushed furiously and swept out of the dormitory. 

He entered the common room, and was shocked to see a very pretty girl in blue dancing by herself in the common room. Jacob recognized her as Soledad Diego, a girl in his year. He watched her for a few moments; very amused at the way she seemed to be floating on air. 

"_Mi amor con el pelo rojo brillante…_ _¿Cuándo seré bastante valiente decirle cómo me siento?"_ He heard her whisper. Jacob tried to stifle a sneeze, and she spun around to face him, blushing furiously.

"You're a wonderful dancer." Jacob said, walking over and sitting on the arm of the sofa. Soledad smiled, still red, and pushed her curly brown hair out of her face. She sat down in the middle of the couch, clearly embarrassed. 

Jacob had never really talked to her, because, well, she never talked to the rest of the Gryffindors. All he knew was that she was one of the few students that didn't live in England, but in Madrid, Spain. 

"_Gracias_…er…thank you." She blushed even more, embarrassed of her Spanish accent. 

For the first time in four years, Jacob noticed that she was extremely pretty. Her eyes were a hazel color, a mix of green, brown, and yellow. Though still curly, her hair wasn't the messy patch of straw it normally was. It was loose around her head, in perfect curls, and glitter sparkled throughout it. 

"Why were you dancing? Shouldn't you be at the ball?" He asked. Soledad turned away and sighed softly. 

"Promise not to tell?" She asked, looking back at him shyly. He nodded. "¿_Prometo_?"

Jacob smiled and nodded again "_Prometo_." Soledad giggled slightly and tossed some of her hair over her shoulder.

"I don't have a date. No one asked me, and my mama bought these beautiful robes for me. I couldn't tell her that I didn't have a date…she would have been _afligido_…heartbroken. I was going to take some pictures of me dancing, and send them to her…" She turned to Jacob, ready for him to laugh at her. But, he didn't.

"I'm dateless too." Jacob said simply. He slid onto the couch, making Soledad bounce slightly. 

"You weren't always." Soledad said softly, turning to look at Jacob. He smirked as he continued to stare into the fire. 

"Yeah. Hey…want to go with me?" Jacob said quickly, turning to her and smiling. Soledad's eyes widened. "I'll get someone to take pictures for your mother. Nothing serious, just a friend doing a friend a favor." 

"I didn't know I was your friend." She said softly. Jacob smirked, realizing that he really _had_ ignored her during their time as classmates. 

"All Gryffindors are friends, but if that's not enough, let's _become_ friends. I promise, this won't be just a one night thing." He smiled, hoping that she would believe him, because he was telling the truth. 

She too smiled, and nodded. Jacob stood up and put his arm out for her,

"The ball awaits, _señorita_." He bowed slightly as she stood and put her arm through his.

"_¡Ay, el venir de mi sueño verdad!_ Let's go make an entrance." They laughed, and Jacob held the portrait door open for the lovely brunette, wondering what she was saying, and praying that he wouldn't regret his decision to go.


	11. The Valentine's Day Ball

Anthony jittered in his seat, terrified of the thought of dancing with Taylor. She sat beside him, talking animatedly with Bridget, who looked dazzling in her purple robes. 

Not that Taylor was anything less than dazzling. Her robes were a shade of light pink, a color that was never worn by the blonde. She had absolutely taken Anthony's every breath away. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun, but a few strands fell onto her face. She had on little to no makeup, but her natural beauty still surpassed those of the other girls. He had stared at her in shock, and was frozen in his place until she tugged on his arm and dragged him out of the common room. 

The room was completely enchanting, with floating candles and tables covered with lace and fine china. Everyone in the room looked extremely happy, except for Professor McGonnagal, who kept pulling people who were 'too close' apart.   
  


The band that was playing, a group of four wizards by the name of Tanrantallegra, began to play a slow tune, causing many of the students to leave their seats and head out to the dance floor. Anthony's face paled. 

"Are you going to ask me to dance?" Taylor said, hugging him from behind. Anthony's glasses began to slide down his nose. He turned his head slightly and smiled weakly at her.

"Want…do you…do you want to dance?" He choked out, hoping his voice didn't sound too strained. Taylor nodded happily and grabbed his hand, pulling him quickly onto the dance floor. Anthony knew he loved the girl, but sometimes, she was a bit too much for him shy teen. 

They found some room, and Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling Anthony close. The blush he felt creeping up his neck was not going to be able to be stopped, so he slowly placed his hands around her waist. They swayed, Taylor's head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at their situation. 

Anthony began to look around at all the other couples dancing. James was blushing furiously as Lilly tossed her hair over her shoulders, laughing at something he must've said. Rebecca and Daniel were rather close, and Anthony prayed that James didn't catch sight of this. The couple that really surprised him was his cousin Brian; he was dancing with Cassie Black, but she seemed occupied with watching something else. 

"Look who decided to show up." Taylor whispered, looking up at Anthony slightly. He turned his head to follow her gaze, and smiled when he saw Jacob walk in with a rather pretty girl in blue. 

"Is that Soledad?" Anthony said. Taylor nodded, closing her eyes as they continued to sway. 

"Mmhmm…" She murmured. The red head pulled her close, loving the feeling of her in his arms. He watched as Jacob and Soledad made their way onto the dance floor, both smiling and laughing softly. 

Alexis and Ryan danced only a few feet away from them, and Anthony noticed that the raven-haired girl could not keep her eyes off of his brother. 

"You play Quidditch at home?" Jacob asked Soledad, completely enthralled by the girl. He had one hand around her waist and her hand was on his shoulder. They held each other's left hand as they danced around the large room. 

The two had not stopped talking since they had left the common room. They realized that they had a lot in common, and Jacob was beginning to wonder why he had never spoken a single word to her. 

"_Sí_, normally Chaser. My papa says I'm pretty good." She said, smiling brightly. Jacob spun her around and they posed for a fifth year Hufflepuff who was taking pictures. Then, Jacob spun her back into his arms, and the two both blushed furiously.

"Maybe you should try out next year?" He said, his voice cracking. "Two of our chasers are graduating." 

"That would be wonderful!" She giggled, squeezing his hand. They continued to dance, spinning slowly in circles. 

"You have _una admiradora_." Soledad whispered in his ear. Jacob stared at her oddly, and Soledad nodded her chin towards something behind him. He spun her around again, so it wouldn't be the obvious he looking at what she was talking about. As soon as Jacob's eyes connected with Alexis', she made Ryan spin her away. 

"She's so weird." Jacob moaned, pulling Soledad back into dancing distance.

"Would you rather be dancing with her?" The curly haired girl asked as the song turned into a faster moving one. The two began to head towards a table and Jacob shook his head, giving her a sideways hug. 

"No! I'm having too much fun with you!" He exclaimed, looking down at her with pure enthusiasm. He couldn't ignore the blush that crept on her face. 

"You're not going to ignore me on Monday, _sí_? Just promise me that." She stopped and looked up at him, her eyes pleading. Jacob just smiled.

"_Prometo_." He said, using one of the few Spanish words he knew. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her face flushed even deeper. "Now, let's get something to eat." Soledad smiled and the two found a pair of empty seats. 

Anthony and Taylor decided to join Jacob and Soledad, and the four were having a very nice conversation about Hogsmeade when a voice from behind them spoke up,

"Jacob? Can I have a word with you?" Alexis Diggory said sweetly, her hands behind her back. Jacob looked around the room, as if he had heard something strange. 

"Can any of you hear that? There's this strange ringing in my ears…" He shrugged it off and began to pick at his dinner. 

Alexis sighed, rubbing her right arm with her left. She sent Anthony a pleading look, but he too avoided her gaze. 

"What do you want Alexis?" Taylor said, clearly annoyed. Alexis shot Taylor an angry look, but she sighed nonetheless.

"_I_ have to talk to Jacob." She said simply. Soledad, who had also been ignoring Alexis, turned to her. 

"Maybe he doesn't want to talk to _you._" She spat a little angrily, mumbling some Spanish curses under her breath. Alexis pursed her lips at the curly haired girl.

"So you've finally decided to speak to humans? It's _only_ taken you four years." She shot back. Soledad's face burned red and Jacob stood up and spun around to glare at Alexis.

"_Don't_ talk to her like that!" He exclaimed, gritting his teeth. Anthony stood up as well, holding Jacob's arm as Ryan joined Alexis' side.

"What's going on here?" The Quidditch captain asked, eyeing Jacob carefully. Alexis looked up at him and touched Ryan's face softly. No matter how much he tried not to, Jacob blushed angrily at the gesture.

"Nothing Ryan, Jacob and I were just going to have a talk, right Jake?" She looked at him and smiled sweetly. His fists were clenched tightly by his side, but he slowly nodded.

"Yes. Of course. _Talk_. We're…we're going to…_talk_." Jacob forced a smile at his captain. Ryan still stared oddly at his teammate, but he nodded. Jacob stormed past Alexis, bursting open the doors to the garden. 

He sat upon the edge of the water fountain, swirling his finger in the icy liquid. The full moon's reflection rippled in the water and Jacob tapped his foot furiously as he heard the footsteps of another walk up slowly behind him. 

"I'm glad we can talk." Alexis said, sitting down next to him. Jacob sighed and turned to her.

"What do you want?" He asked harshly. She looked at her fingers, taking in a deep breath.

"You deserve an explanation." 

"Damn right I do!" Jacob shouted, standing up. He began to pace in front of her, not daring to look at her. "How could you do that to me? All I've been is a gentleman to you! Never have I _once _said a bad thing about you! I've _always _stood up for you!"

"It's on account of my mother." She said softly. Jacob stopped abruptly and sneered at her.

"Don't give me any bullshit about a bad home life! You're a smart girl! You've _never _had any problems!" Alexis stood up at this comment, one finger pointed out, and she stormed towards him.

"You have _no _idea what my home life is like! Don't you _dare _say _anything_ about it!" She screamed, her voice shrilly. The two stared at each other for what seemed like eternity to them. Their breathes were short and ragged, until Alexis turned away.

"So tell me." Jacob said slowly, crossing his arms. "Give me the reason, and I might not hate you as much." 

She faced him again, a pained look on her face.

"Like I said, it's on account of my mother. She…she taught me to never trust anyone easily. When we kissed last night, it was wonderful. But…I don't want to give my heart away just yet. I got scared, and I thought that if I hurt you, I wouldn't have to worry about giving my heart away to you." Alexis looked up at him, tears brimming at her eyes. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. Truly, I am."

Jacob stared at her, not revealing what he was thinking. He didn't completely believe her. 

"Why did your mother tell you that?" He asked quietly. Alexis closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. 

"I don't have a normal family. Not like yours. I live alone with my mother. I never knew my father. _She _never knew my father." She started back towards the fountain, and Jacob realized that her legs weren't able to support her anymore. Alexis fell onto the edge of the fountain, and Jacob slowly approached her, still wary.

"What happened?" He asked. 

"It's a Muggle thing. I don't want to go into details, but she was able to have me without having a husband. She didn't want a husband. Not…not after she lost _him_." Alexis began to push her hair back over and over and over, and Jacob spoke up again,

"Lost who?" 

"Her first love. He died right before graduating from Hogwarts. He was a Hufflepuff, a great man." She whispered. Jacob's eyes widened slightly; he had a feeling of where this was leading. 

"Cedric Diggory…" He said carefully, not wanting Alexis to erupt. She nodded slowly, 

"My mother's real name is Cho Chang, and she never got over him. After Hogwarts, she ran away and took his last name. She couldn't bear the thought of being without him." 

Alexis looked up at the red head, to see that he was shaking his head softly. She became confused, and stood up to approach him. Her hand reached for his face, but he moved away.

"No." He said, finally looking at her in the eyes. Alexis froze immediately. "I don't want you to try and live in some fairytale." 

"But…I really _do _like you, I was just scared." She wanted to beg him to take her back. Jacob shook his head.

"If we were together, and then things didn't work out…you would end up like your mother. You can love more than one person in your life." He said, smiling softly. "Ryan's waiting." 

Alexis smiled tenderly, taking a step towards him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you." She said simply. Jacob sighed softly as he watched her walk back into the castle. It hurt to give her up, but, deep down, he knew that he was doing the right thing, for the both of them. 

  
It wasn't long before Anthony, Taylor, and Soledad peered out of the door Alexis had gone through.

"You still alive?" Anthony called, coming out and putting his hands up in confusion. Jacob laughed and jogged over to his brother.

"Yeah, I'm still here." He smiled brightly at all of them, and stopped at Soledad, who was watching him anxiously. Jacob bowed slightly in front of her, and put out his hand. "Care for another dance?" 

The girl in blue blushed furiously and nodded as she took his hand. Jacob nodded his head towards his brother and Taylor, and the two headed back out to the dance floor. 

Near eleven, there were still quite a few couples dancing slowly on the floor. Many had retired, and the teachers were trying their best to send the rest to bed, but the hall had been rented until midnight. 

The night had been full of very memorable things, all of which were captured on camera by the hired photographer (the same Hufflepuff that had snapped Jacob and Soledad's picture).

Professor Potter had swept his daughter away from James (who the Professor stared daggers into) and shared a few dances with her. Lilly started off being absolutely humiliated, but by the third dance, she was smiling and twirling in good spirits. 

Door prizes had been given out, and the lucky winner of five free Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks had been Brian Weasley himself. He gave them to Cassie, knowing that she absolutely loved the Butterbeers. The third year was elated, and could not stop talking about them the entire night. 

Anthony, though he tried, had grown tired of dancing very quickly and struggled to keep up with his very effervescent date. Luckily for him, Malcolm cut in for a couple of dances with his little sister, letting the worn out red head take a break. 

"_There are places I remember. All my life, though some have changed._"The lead singer of Tanrantallegra sang, a smile spreading on his face. He pushed his blonde hair out of his face and Jacob heard some of the girls sigh and giggle. "Come on all you Muggle born students out there! I know you guys have heard this one before!"

Jacob turned to his dance partner as they began to sway back and forth. 

"_Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain..._" He sang softly. Soledad sent him an odd smile, causing him to blush. "My mum's Muggle-born, she's a huge fan." He explained, putting his right hand around her waist. 

_"All these places had their moments…with lovers and friends, I still can recall…"_

"It's not that…" She whispered, taking his left in her right. 

"Then what is it?" He asked, clearly interested. The two swayed softly to the calming tune. 

"_Some are dead and some are living…in my life I've loved them all."_

Soledad bit her lip and darted her eyes away. 

"It's just…I didn't know you could sing, I've never had anyone sing to me before." She looked up at him, her hazel eyes wide with excitement. Jacob smiled brightly and pulled her closer, leaning towards her ear.

"_But of all these friends and lovers…there is no one compares with you._" He whispered softly. Soledad giggled slightly, letting go of his hands to hug him around the neck. 

"You are as wonderful as the other girls say." She said, a very enthusiastic smile on her face. It was Jacob's turn to laugh.

"And these memories lose their meaning…when I think of love as something new…" 

"Really?" He asked, clearly interested. "I never thought about other people talking about me…"   
  
"It's all good!" Soledad explained quickly. Jacob nodded slowly and put both his arms around her waist, letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "_Es increíble_." He heard her whisper.

"What?" Jacob asked, pulling away slightly to look at her. Soledad's eyes were wide; apparently he wasn't supposed to hear that.

"_¡Ay!_" She exclaimed. Her face immediately flushed and she pushed herself away from him. "I'm sorry, just me being _loca_. Er…I guess we should be going." Soledad pulled away from him, pulling her hair into a low ponytail and heading out of the Great Hall. 

Jacob stared at her for a few moments before following her out the door, his cape swishing behind him. 

"_In my life I love you more…_"


	12. Silent Words and Music

Anthony plopped onto the couch of the Gryffindor common room, Taylor sliding down next to him. He was literally exhausted from the night's events; his wonderfully enthusiastic date had managed to keep him on the dance floor for an hour straight. He had to stop himself from performing Locomotor Mortis on the blonde more than once. 

"That was so much fun!" Taylor said elatedly, clinging on to Anthony's arm and burying her head in his shoulder. The red head rolled his eyes and leaned his head back onto the couch, ready to fall asleep. 

"I'm glad you had a good time." He said simply, his eyes fluttering shut. Taylor looked up at him and smiled softly. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, causing him to open his eyes again.

A few girls entered the common room, giggling like mad. Rebecca, Lilly, and Cassie were in the lead. They sat at the table beside the couch and began to discuss the night's events. 

James and Brian entered a few moments later, both looking rather flustered. Brian looked angry, while James avoided eye contact with the girls at the table. The girls watched as the boys headed up the stairs, their giggles stopping immediately at the sight of them. As soon as the two disappeared, they began their chatter again.

"I know you really didn't want to dance," Taylor whispered, trying to ignore the girls' constant laughing. "I could tell by the look on your face." She patted his stomach and smiled genuinely at him. "But it really made me happy that you suffered through it without complaining." 

Anthony smiled back at her, pushing a loose lock of hair out of her face.

"I wasn't suffering; you made it _much_ more bearable."

She pushed his glasses up his nose, and he took her wrist in his hand. They laughed, and she fell into his arms again.

"I _love_ the glasses." Taylor said, staring into the fireplace. Anthony nodded and intertwined their fingers.

"_I_ love _you_." He whispered, smiling softly. The chatter in the room stopped, and suddenly, Anthony felt as if all eyes were on him. He looked towards the group of girls, and noticed that they _all _were watching him. 

He looked down at Taylor, who was staring at him with wide, excited eyes. 

"What?" Anthony asked, clearly confused. "I've said that before…" She nodded and leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips.

"You haven't said it since first year." Taylor said, and with her other hand, she waved off the girls. The group took the hint, and raced up the stairs and began giggling hysterically. 

Anthony stared at their hands with an odd look. "But…you knew that I did…you always knew, right?" 

Taylor sighed softly and shifted her body so now her legs were beneath her and she was facing him. With her free hand, she took his chin in her face, causing him to look at her.

"Yes, I always knew. It's just a thrill to hear you say it." She blushed and stared shyly at him. 

"You know, you've never said it to _me_." Anthony laughed, winking at her. Taylor's eyes widened and she smiled brightly.

"Guess what!" She scooted closer to him, their noses inches from each other's. He tilted his head to stare at her oddly.

"What…?" He asked slowly. She kissed his nose and then his lips. His odd expression turned into one of complete bewilderment.

"I love you, Anthony Weasley." She said softly, kissing him again. Anthony grinned, and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. 

Jacob followed Soledad in silence, listening to her mumble words he didn't understand. Her hands were waving around furiously and she must not have noticed that he had been walking right behind her for the past five minutes.

They reached the Gryffindor hallway, and suddenly she stopped, her hands flat by her side. Jacob stopped as well, smirking softly at her.

"Are you going to let me say good night?" He called out, causing her to jump up slightly. Soledad turned around and stared at him, biting her bottom lip. 

"Did you understand anything I said in Spanish?" She asked quickly, staring down at her fingers. Jacob shook his head, confused.

"No…I don't think I've _ever_ heard any of those words_._" He said honestly. "Why?" 

Soledad sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulders and took a step towards him. Jacob took a step towards her as well. 

"Do you remember in our second year…on Christmas, you got that poster of the Cannons, with all their autographs? Wrapped in that shiny orange paper?" She asked slowly. Jacob's expression immediately brightened and he nodded excitedly.

"Of course! It's hanging up in my dorm right by my bed! That was the most amazing gift _ever_! I showed it off to everyone…wait…" He looked up at her, squinting his eyes. "How did _you _know it was wrapped in that paper…?" 

Soledad avoided eye contact with the red head, but even in the dimly lit hall, he could see her blush.

"_You _sent that to me?" He asked, completely stunned, and he took a step closer. Soledad nodded, shrugging her shoulders.

"My papa works for them, he knows all of them personally. Actually, the Gaudios had Christmas dinner with us…"

"Gaudio? _The _Gaudio? As in Keeper and _Captain_ of the _Cannons_?" Jacob asked, clearly close to hysterics. Soledad smiled softly at his reaction and nodded. "Oh wow…" 

"I knew you loved them, so I went to one of the games and Papa had it signed." She said timidly, finally daring to look up at him. Jacob was smiling softly at her, staring at her with a look she had never seen from him. 

"Brian loves the Cannons too…and James…" He barely said. Soledad smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. 

"I'velikedyousincethefirsttimeIsawyou." She mumbled something so quickly, that Jacob only caught a few words. 

"You…you _like_ me?" He asked carefully. Soledad turned scarlet and looked away, starting towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. Jacob went after her and took hold of her wrist, spinning her around. "Do you?" 

Soledad continued to avoid his gaze, but she nodded. 

"Our first day…you helped me onto my boat. I was having trouble getting on because it was the only one left and I couldn't keep it steady. You actually walked into the water and held it for me, then rode with me to the castle…I was amazed…" 

"That's right…I jumped out of the one with my brother and cousin to go and help you…" The memory suddenly replayed itself in his mind. "Oy Soledad, I can't believe I didn't remember that!" 

"I did." She whispered. "I never thanked you for it. And I was going to send you something for our first year Christmas, but the thing with Anthony…I didn't think I should. So, I waited."

"It honestly was the best thing anyone's ever given me." He said softly, never taking his eyes off of her. "I've waited two years to find out who sent it to me."

She looked up at him and rolled her eyes softly. "I should have told you, but I was so scared that you would think I was _extraña_…er…strange. Everyone else here thinks I am…" 

"Who cares what everyone else thinks?" Jacob exclaimed, taking both her hands in his. "I feel like kicking myself for not talking to you for these past four years. You're an amazing person and I've had a wonderful time with you tonight! I'm sorry for ignoring you…it was a terrible mistake."

"R-really?" She looked up into his eyes, a small smile on her face. Jacob nodded and she threw her arms around his neck. The red head was a bit shocked by her actions, but he hugged her tightly around the waist nonetheless. "You don't know how happy you've made me." Soledad said softly into his ear, causing a shiver down his spine. 

He gave her another squeeze, and then pulled his head back to look at her. Her hazel eyes were filling with tears and he laughed softly as he moved his hand slowly towards her face to wipe them away.

"It's been a good night, huh?" He asked, wiping a loose tear off of her cheek. Soledad reached up and grabbed that hand in hers and she nodded. 

Her free hand moved to his shoulder, and Jacob's left hand slid from behind her waist to the side of it. 

"Care for one last dance?" She asked, and before he even answered, the two were dancing in the hallway to silent music. 

I'm sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the others…BUT the first chapter of the seventh year is coming right after it…tee hee. 

The fourth year was really just for me to write some romance, as I know that there was very little action. But…seventh year is a completely different story. I don't think I'm too good at writing suspense…action…whatever, but I am happy with it…it's almost done. 


	13. Ah, the joys of the Invisibilty Cloak

**A/N: **As a request…the family tree was posted at the end of this chapter (hehe, I get a bit mixed up too) 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of JKR's characters…duh. ****

**Weasley's The Name- Seventh Year - Chapter 1**

A seventh year Gryffindor walked the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, doing his nightly run to make sure that none of the students were out of bed. As he passed the door to the third years' dorm he heard footsteps heading towards him. 

"Who's out here?" Anthony Weasley called, crossing his arms, scratching his right one with his Head Boy badge. "If you come out now, I'll let you off." 

A boy with messy black hair and bright blue eyes peered from around the corner, smiling widely at Anthony. The Gryffindor shook his head and sighed.

  
"Ronny, what are you doing out of bed?" He asked his cousin. Ronny Potter jumped forward awkwardly, and smiled brightly. 

"I was looking for you. I wanted to know if I could, uh…get a glass of water!" He explained, wringing his hands in front of him. Anthony just smirked. 

"If you want a _chance _of replacing Jacob as Keeper next year, I _suggest_ you stop hanging out with hooligans. _Accio Invisibility Cloak_!" Anthony exclaimed, pulling his wand out of his pocket. Immediately, four other boys appeared and the cloak flew into Anthony's hand. 

Jacob and Brian Weasley, and Cedric and Jamie Potter all stood, each with a different expression plastered on their face. Jacob looked really annoyed, Brian was trying to stifle a laugh (he really shouldn't be sneaking around, being a prefect), Cedric was torn between amusement and fear, and Jamie was in complete shock.   
  


"_Hool_igans? You sound like _Mum_." Jacob groaned and Jamie tried to cover his cousin's mouth

"We're going to get in _more _trouble!" The first year squealed nervously. Anthony rolled his eyes and began to tap his foot.

"What were you guys doing?" He said, leaning against the wall. Brian stopped his laughter and put his arm around Jamie, 

"Ah well, we just wanted to show our little Jamie the beautiful sights of the Forbidden Forest, you know how gorgeous it is these days, late in spring." Brian said, a large smile on his face. Anthony just sighed.

"You'll get the cloak in the morning and I _won't _tell on you." He said, trying to go easy on them. Jacob and Brian groaned and stared daggers into Anthony. Ronny, Cedric, and Jamie quickly rushed past their older cousin and down to the steps to their appropriate dorm rooms. 

"You could be more fun, you know." Jacob said as he and Brian began up the stairs. Anthony smiled at his twin.

"Yes, I do know, but I wouldn't be Head Boy, now would I?" Jacob snorted and disappeared up the stairs. 

Anthony made his way down to the Gryffindor common room to put out the fire, when the door to the girls' dorms opened. He stopped and threw the invisibility cloak over his body as Taylor Parkinson crept out from behind the door. He watched as she looked around the common room, frowning softly. Taylor started down the last small flight of stairs to the common room, and Anthony followed her, his mischievous smile sliding on his face. 

She made her around the couch and pointed her wand towards the fireplace. Immediately, the fire burned down and Taylor stood there watching it, for some unknown reason. Anthony slowly approached her, stopping right behind her, and he let the invisibility cloak fall to the ground. Startled by the noise, Taylor quickly spun around ready to scream, but Anthony's lips on hers silenced her. 

Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck as his strong arms slid around her waist. He pulled her close and they deepened the kiss. She combed her fingers through his strangles of red hair and Anthony backed the two up until he was in front of the couch. He sat down, pulling her down on top of him. 

Anthony's hands traced up each and every vertebrae of her back until he reached her neck. Slowly he pulled the band out of her low bun, causing her long blonde hair to swish down her back. He loved to run his fingers through her silky locks, and Taylor enjoyed curling his around her fingers. They finally broke their kiss, and looked lovingly into the others' eyes. 

"We really shouldn't be doing this." She whispered as she traced her finger around his face. Anthony smiled and kissed her fingertips as they traced his lips.

"But it feels so right." He growled, pulling her closer. Taylor giggled and kissed him softly, her lips lingering on his forehead. 

"Prefects are not allowed out of bed at this time either, you know." She sighed, slipping off of his lap and sitting by his side. Anthony smirked, not wanting to break the rules. 

"You're right…you're _always_ right…" He whined. Taylor giggled and pushed him away. Anthony pulled Taylor back into his arms, hugging her and staring into the fireplace. She smiled, closing her eyes and leaning her head on his chest. She listened to his heart, enjoying the steadiness of its beats. 

The red head looked down at his girl, smiling at how sweet she looked. His gaze turned back to the fireplace, and then to the object that was lying in front of it. With his long legs, Anthony reached his foot over and snatched the Invisibility Cloak on his shoe. 

"What are you doing?" Taylor murmured, snuggling deeper into his chest and keeping her eyes shut. Anthony smiled and kissed the top of her head. His free arm grabbed the edge of the cloak, and then he quickly threw it over them. 

Taylor immediately felt the cloak land on her, and she looked up at Anthony. He smiled brightly and leaned towards her, kissing her nose. 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He said softly, almost seductively. Taylor's eyes widened softly as she reached out and touched his face. Slowly, he pulled her up from beside her, and the two lied side by side on the rather large couch. The lovely blonde then found her position under his arm again and she nuzzled his chest with her nose. Anthony smiled at the gesture and wrapped his other arm around her, and they fell asleep, under the protection of the Invisibility Cloak. 

"_Don't_." 

Taylor rolled her shoulders, shutting her eyes tighter. Her slumber had been disturbed. She sighed happily, as she gave Anthony a soft squeeze.

"_Please_, don't." Her eyes shot open at Anthony's frantic voice. She felt his body under hers, and slowly, she pushed herself up to look at him. The fire that flickered from the fireplace illuminated the room enough for Taylor to see Anthony's scrunched up face.

"Anthony…" She whispered, touching his cheek. At her touch, his face snapped the other way.

"Just _don't_ hurt her." He murmured, squirming underneath her arms. 

It took Taylor a few seconds to realize what was wrong; the sleep in her eyes had kept her from fully focusing. Jacob once confided to her that Anthony had been much more affected by the events of his first year than he had let everyone know. She never approached him about it, but she did know that he often woke up screaming, until Jacob and the other boys were able to calm him. 

She would pay anything to calm him now.

"It's alright, love." She said soothingly, pushing some hair out of his eyes. Taylor traced a solitary finger across his cheekbone, hoping that he wouldn't flinch away. Fortunately, he didn't. 

"I'm _not_ a mudblood." His voice was incredibly soft, but Taylor heard it in the silence of the common room. Anthony's pained expression slowly faded away, and he regained the calm breath she had fallen asleep to. 

Taylor continued to watch him, as if she had to assure herself he was truly sleeping. When she was satisfied (which was about five minutes later), she planted a soft kiss on his lips, and snuggled back into her spot under his arm.

"Where is Anthony? I need the cloak, Dad will _kill _me if he finds out we got caught!" Jamie squealed. He and Ronny had come down to the common room early the next morning, expecting Anthony to already be up. 

Jamie, with his black hair and green eyes, was the keeper of the Invisibility Cloak. Harry had given it to him because…well, if he had given it to Lilly, he was sure her cousins would have had _too _much fun with it. He _was _a Professor there, after all. 

"If he's not down here, that means he's still asleep. I told you! Even Head Boys sleep in on Saturdays! Can we go to bed now?" Ronny exclaimed, flinging himself on the couch. Only…he didn't fall on the couch. Jamie watched in amazement as Ronny floated uncomfortably over it.

"Geroff!" A deep voice mumbled. Jamie squeaked and jumped away. At the end of the couch, a patch of red hair appeared, and soon Anthony's entire face popped up. "_RONNY_! GET OFF!" He screamed.

Ronny was on the floor in less than two seconds. Jamie giggled, but stopped as his brother sent him an annoyed glare. The Invisibility Cloak fell to the floor, and Anthony and Taylor sat on the couch. 

Jamie swiped the cloak into his arms, holding it close. Ronny stood up, rubbing his backside, and then he stared at his cousin and girlfriend.   
  
"What's going on _here_?" He asked, ready to laugh. Anthony's face immediately flushed red and he shook his head. Taylor, on the other hand, began to laugh.

"Aw, you're _too_ cute! We fell asleep last night under the cloak. It's rather warm." 

Ronny and Jamie just stared in shock at the two. Anthony stood up, and pointed towards the stairway to the dorms.

"Just go back to bed, it has to be really early." He demanded. Ronny and Jamie started towards the stairs, but were stopped when a swarm of people came through the entrance. 

"You _better_ keep quiet Potter! Just because you're seeker _doesn't _give you the right to cancel practices!" Jacob Weasley screamed, striding into the common room in a huff. Brian nodded furiously and plopped into one of the large chairs of the room.

Anthony watched as his brother headed towards the portrait hole. He was in complete Quidditch attire, and his face was crimson. Brian was in uniform as well, and his face looked just as flushed. The room was filled with the Gryffindor Quidditch team, most of which looked _extremely _exhausted.

"_Excuse _me for looking after my teammates!" A shrilly voice shrieked. Lilly Potter threw her hands up in the air, causing her long red hair to bounce around. "We were all so tired last night! Cassie and I had a detention with _Snape_! There's no bloody way that we could wake up and be in shape for a rigorous practice _right _before the game! You had us practicing right after school until the detention started! We're _tired _Jake!" 

Anthony noticed that she was in uniform too, but by the look on her face she _wasn't _happy about it. 

"What's going on here?" He said, coming in between the two. Jacob crossed his arms and stared at his brother. 

"You know what she did? She cancelled our morning practice. _She CANCELLED _our practice! _I'm _the captain! _I _cancel practices!" His voice was going higher with each sentence, and his face was now a deeper shade of red than his hair. 

  
Lilly turned to Anthony, her eyes pleading. It was scary how she looked so much like his aunt Ginny. 

"There was no way we could go out there this early! Anthony, you _know _how Snape's detentions are!" She complained, crossing her arms as well.

"Actually, I don't. But still, you're _not_ captain, Lilly." He said calmly. Jacob's face took on a look of triumph, until Anthony turned to him. "But I don't see how you can expect them to work _this_ hard." 

"It's not _my_ fault these two," Jacob said, motioning towards Lilly and one of the team's chasers. "Don't know how to stay out of trouble!" 

"_LOOK _atwho's talking!" The chaser yelled. Brian Weasley snorted, and the chaser sent him a huge grin. Jacob glared at him. "-_Plus_ you _laughed_ when you saw that purple patch of hair on Snape!" Cassiopeia Black exclaimed, a smile sliding on her face. She had short black hair, and brown eyes that could bore holes through lead. Jacob had to stifle a laugh.

"Fine!" He said tiredly. "The game's at four, be there at three, got it?" And he left his team to go back up to his dorm. They cheered happily, and began to dance around the room to spite their captain.

As he headed upstairs, Soledad Diego followed him up. Jacob stopped abruptly and turned around to face her. The two were out of sight of the people in the common room, and they were only a few steps away. They smiled shyly at each other.

The two…had a _thing _going on. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend like Anthony and Taylor were; but…they had gone on dates, and he's kissed her a few times. 

"Hello Soledad, happy about the cancellation?" He said, hoping his voice wouldn't crack. Soledad smiled and pushed her brown curls behind her ear. Her hazel eyes shined and she pursed her lips softly. 

"Of course! I can't believe you gave in!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, thought I'd take off the title as Dictator for the day." He flashed a bright smile at her, and he noticed that she too blushed. "Well, er…" He mumbled, scratching his head. Soledad giggled and rolled up her sleeves. 

"So, what will you be doing then, until three?" She asked. Jacob leaned against the wall, thinking. 

"I don't know…" _Don't say that you idiot!_ He thought. _Ask her out!_ "Will you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" He said rather quickly. He felt his face burn and watched, as Soledad's blush deepened as well. 

"_Pero…_it's not a Hogsmeade weekend…" She said softly, playing with her hair again. Jacob just smiled.

"Ah, that's never kept a Weasley out of there before." He winked and Soledad's blush grew even redder, if that was even possible. 

"_Bien_, I'll meet you in the common room around…noon?" She suggested. Jacob nodded happily, but was then rammed into by Lilly and Cassie. The two girls laughed hysterically, pursing their lips and making kissing noises. Jacob's anger at them returned. 

"I'm going to _murder _you two!" He screamed with fury, chasing them all the way up to the door of the girl's dorms. Their squeals were heard as they shut the door; and they quickly turned into laughter. Jacob stomped his foot, completely flustered. He turned around to see Soledad standing behind him. 

"Flustered, Jake?" She said quietly, passing him. Jacob grabbed her wrist, keeping her from leaving. The grip he had on her sent shivers down the girl's spine, and he pulled her towards him, leaving inches between their noses.

"Very." He whispered. Then he gave her a very soft and lingering kiss. Soledad tried to deepen it, but before she could, he swiftly left to go into the boys' dormitory. Soledad watched him shut the door before she touched her lips with her fingers. A blush quickly crept up her cheeks, and she too left to the dorms. 

Lilly and Cassie burst into the sixth year girls' dorm laughing hysterically. Luckily, there were only two other girls in there, and one of them was a _deep _sleeper. The fourth roommate, strode out of the bathroom, her hair on the top of her head in a towel.. 

"What in the world…?" Rebecca Lupin called, walking to the middle of the room. Lilly and Cassie stopped abruptly, hearing their roommate's voice. 

"Uh oh. Did we disturb you, Becca?" Cassie giggled, covering her mouth quickly. 

Rebecca rolled her eyes and pulled the towel out of her hair. As it fell to down, she tossed her straight auburn hair over her shoulder. Lilly and Cassie couldn't help but admire how perfect she looked. They cursed the half Veela silently. 

"As a matter of fact, you did. What are you guys doing in uniform? I thought you said no morning practice last night?" 

Lilly nodded happily and jumped on her bed, taking off her equipment. 

"Yep. But Jake stormed in here demanding that there be practice, but we went down and told him off. We can sleep in today!"

Rebecca nodded and walked daintily towards the mirror, checking out her appearance carefully. Cassie jumped on her bed and stared at her friend,

"Why do you even bother looking in the mirror?" She asked, throwing her shin pads to the ground. Rebecca spun around and smiled slyly at her. 

"The same reason you guys do." She said simply. 

Lilly and Cassie stared at her oddly. Rebecca rolled her eyes at the clueless looks of her friends. She turned to Lilly and crossed her arms. 

"Don't you think I see how you stare at my brother? Come on, it's _obvious_!" 

Lilly felt her face burn immediately, and she quickly took one of her pillows to cover her face with. Their other roommate awoke at these words, and Dana Finnegan, joined Rebecca on Lilly's on her bed. Cassie stayed on hers, still taking off her equipment.

"Really Lilly?" Dana asked, combing her hands through her sandy hair. "You _still _like _James_? Come _on!_" Lilly peeked out from behind her pillow.

"He's s so perfect." She whispered, her blush growing again. "He's nice to everyone, but I feel like he's nicerto _me_." 

"He has mentioned you a few times, out of nowhere." Rebecca said, pulling her knees to her chin. "Like, Dad'll be talking about Quidditch, and James will cut in and say something like 'Lilly really has no competition when she's on the field at school. You should see her one day!'"

A rush of blood flooded Lilly's cheeks and she covered her face with her hands. Dana and Rebecca giggled wildly, and the girls fell back on the bed, talking about their crushes. Cassie rolled her eyes and threw the smaller pieces of equipment at her friends, hoping that they would stop being so girly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The Family Tree 

I believe there's a proper way to do this, but I'm just making a list. Years are as of the twins' seventh year.

Ron and Hermione Weasley- Anthony & Jacob (twins); seventh year, Emily; fourth year, Delaney; two years old 

Harry and Ginny Potter- Lilly; sixth year, Ronny; third year, Cedric; second year, Jamie; first year, Gregory; two years old

_---Errrrr, I messed their ages up in some earlier chapter…heh. Ignore that stuff, please? _

Fred and Katie Weasley- Fred Weasley; out of Hogwarts (19), Brian; seventh year

_Other characters…_

James (seventh year) and Rebecca (sixth year) Lupin 

Cassiopeia (sixth year) and Orion (fourth year) Black

Taylor Parkinson (seventh year) 

I believe that's all you really need to know, if there are any more questions…just review, or drop me a line at: pigwidgeonweasley@hotmail.com 


	14. Some Unexpected Visitors

The Great Hall was empty this Saturday morning, mainly due to the fact that it _was _Saturday morning. 

Emily Weasley strolled in, still rather tired. Her curls were tied into a very unruly bun on the top of her head, hairs coming out at every angle. She wore her normal home clothes because robes were not necessary on weekends, and her outfit consisted of baggy jeans and a red tank top. The few boys in the Great Hall turned their heads to watch her walk past them, because she definitely caught their attention.

She slid onto the end of the Gryffindor table's bench and laid her head upon in, trying to drift back into sleep. 

The only reason she was up was to tutor Orion Black in Charms, because the poor boy had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Professor Flitwick had noticed Orion's struggle, so he assigned Emily as his tutor, because she had the highest marks in the year ("Reminds me of your mother!" He often said to her). If Orion's grades didn't pick up, he had a very small chance of passing the finals.

It was also helpful that Orion was one of her very charming and loyal best friends, Emily absolutely refused to see him fail. The boy had been too proud to ask for help, and it took a few leg-locking charms on the redhead's part to get him to agree. 

A few minutes after Emily arrived, Orion ran into the Great Hall, clearly knowing that he was late. His black hair fell in front of his dark brown eyes as they searched the hall. The only redhead in the hall was in the row right in front of him, so he quickly raced up to her.

"I'm sorry I'm late Emily." He said, sliding onto the bench next to her. Emily sat up and rubbed her eyes, smiling softly. 

"It's fine Orion, I've only been here a short while. Where would you like to begin?" 

Orion's smile faded as he looked at the books Emily had brought. 

"Do we have to start right away? I mean; we both just woke up…" He sent her a very cheesy smile, trying to convince her. Emily rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I guess so, but we _are _going to study, don't think I'll forget." A small smile slid on her face as Orion began to dance in his seat. 

She couldn't help but think he was cute, he was! Emily had heard stories of how handsome his father was at his young age from his mother, aunts, and grandmother, so she didn't feel at all odd for thinking the same. 

"Thanks _so _much, Emily." Orion said after his little dance. "I really appreciate it. Now, how's your little sister?" 

"Oh, Delaney is just fine, she's driving Mum nuts though, because with every hiccup, something in the house blows up." She giggled and Orion watched on amazed.

"Already? She's just about three, right?" He asked with pure curiosity. Emily nodded, and reached up to pull the rubber band out of her hair. Her long red curls fell to her shoulders, and she shook her head to let them all loose. 

One boy, a third year Hufflepuff, toppled off of his seat at Emily's actions. His friends snickered at him, and when Emily turned around to see what had happened, they all shut up and sent her huge smiles. She returned their smiles with an odd stare, and then looked back at Orion, who had the same grin on his face as the boys. 

"What?" She asked nervously, a blush growing on her face. Orion seemed to realize that he was staring, and he shook his head, sending her a weak smile.

"Nothing, it was just…funny, when he fell, that's all." He stuttered, blushing. Emily didn't quite believe him, but she shrugged and the two began to talk nonsense. 

They were about to get to charms, when Cassie Black burst into the Great Hall. 

Orion watched as his sister stormed towards them, and his face flushed with embarrassment. Cassie had been known to drive her brothers absolutely insane. She had two others, but one had already graduated, and the other was two years from going to Hogwarts. They had never truly experienced her wrath.

"Please don't come over here…" He mumbled under his breath. Of course, Cassie sat down in the seat in front of the two fourth years.

"Morning." She mumbled, burying her head in her arms. Emily and Orion shared a confused look, and then Orion poked his sister, who swatted his hand away.  
  


"What's wrong?" He asked, holding his now throbbing hand. 

"Oh, nothing." Cassie said, lifting her head up. "Just that my life is _over_." Emily tilted her head to stare at her friend.

"What do you mean?" She asked nicely. Cassie shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. 

"It's really stupid, actually. So stupid that it hurts _a lot_. But, I guess, all is fair in love and war…"

"_Love_ and war?" Orion repeated, but he couldn't finish his thoughts because Lilly, Rebecca, and Dana walked in, giggling madly. Cassie sent them a venom-filled glare, and she again buried her head in her arms.

"Hello, hello!" Rebecca said happily, tossing her hair over her shoulders (_All _the Hufflepuff boys fell out of their seats at the sight of these beautiful girls). "What a wonderful morning! Have any of you seen Danny?" 

Rebecca was _completely_ infatuated with a seventh year Ravenclaw by the name of Daniel Martin. He was the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and the reason why many Ravenclaw girls _did not _like Rebecca. But the glares she received from the Ravenclaws didn't not stop her from walking hand in hand with Daniel to every class she could. 

"What, you took him off his leash?" Cassie said bitterly, poking a fork into the pancakes that had just appeared in front of her. Rebecca rolled her eyes and sat down next to Lilly, who was staring dreamily into space. Dana sat on the other side of Cassie, and was trying to take some bacon off of her friend's plate. Cassie quickly swatted at her friend, who stuck her tongue out at her. 

"You're in a sour mood. What's bugging you?" Dana asked, finally getting a piece of bacon and throwing it quickly into her mouth. Cassie smirked at her friend and slammed her fork into her pancakes. 

Emily, Orion, and Dana jumped, but Rebecca and Lilly didn't notice; a group of boys had just walked into the Great Hall. Daniel, James, and Brian included. 

"Why do girls have to be so girly?" Cassie said softly, all of her rage leaving her body. Dana ogled at her friend, clearly not understanding. Emily and Orion shrugged at each other, and slowly went back to Charms. 

Daniel immediately found Rebecca, and soon the two were just laughing and talking quietly, off in their own little world. James sat down with his roommate, Brian Weasley, next to Dana, who was still staring at Cassie. 

"Hello Cassie, ready for the match today?" Brian asked, leaning forward to look past James and Dana. He smiled brightly, the complete opposite of his teammate. Brian's brown hair was now cut very short and spiky, but he unconsciously combed it as he talked to her. Cassie barely grunted and continued to mess up her breakfast. Brian smirked softly, looking rather disappointed. 

"I can't wait to try out next year! You guys are going to _kill_ Ravenclaw!" Orion exclaimed. Daniel broke his romantic gaze with Rebecca to send Orion an angry stare. 

  
"Hey, I'm sitting_ right _here!" He growled, although a smile tugged at his lips. Orion stuck his tongue out at Daniel, and Rebecca glared at him. "It's all right, all is fair in the game of Quidditch."

"That's the second time we heard that phrase today." Emily said, looking up from her book. "Only, it was all is fair in love and—OW!" Cassie had kicked the young girl hard in the shins. 

Emily had to bite her tongue to stop the curse that was slipping from her lips. Orion seemed very concerned, and he put an arm around Emily's shoulder to stop her from falling over. This caused the young red head to blush immediately, and she quickly left the bench, briskly walking out of the Great Hall.

"Come on Orion!" She called, "We'll _study_ in the _Li_brary!" 

  
Orion did not, _could not, _refuse the offer, and he too left the Great Hall at a high speed. 

Cassie watched as her brother chased after the girl, and then looked back down at her food. She'd have to apologize to Emily later, but right now, she felt like brooding.

She silently wished to have someone to chase after like her brother did Emily, but, the boys she hung out with were all completely enthralled with her roommates. Even Dana! Dana was such a pain! She was rude and rough and Cassie couldn't understand how she was able to catch the attention of some of the best guys at Hogwarts, and Cassie couldn't even get a word out of the one she wanted...

"Bloody hell." Cassie whispered. 

"What's wrong?" Brian asked, breaking Cassie out of her daydream. She shook her head, and realized that everyone else had left. She sighed and put her head in her hand.

"I'm just miserable, Brian." She said, blowing some of her black hair out of her face. Brian smiled weakly.

"Why? Because James doesn't like you _like _you?" He said, with a twinge of sadness in his voice. Cassie's eyes widened, and she blushed.

"How did you know?" She growled. Brian shrugged and turned to his plate of food. 

"You get all silly when he's around, and whenever Lilly talks to him, well, you get really angry. Plus, you've said it before." He said simply, looking back at her. 

"I never told anyone that!" Cassie exclaimed, outraged, and worried that Brian might have read her diary. 

"Well, you made it obvious." Brian explained. "The Valentine's day dance, in fourth year, all you could do was compliment him and tell me how great he looked. And, then _of course, _the--"

"He did look great in those red robes…" She interrupted, reminiscing about the night. Brian stood up immediately, swishing his cloak quickly by her. Cassie stared up at him, confused.

"I'll see you at the game." He said stiffly, and he left her alone. Cassie stared at her teammate as he left the Great Hall. 

"What's crawling up his ---?"

"So, you see, I will do _my_ speech first, and _then_ you go, because, well," Sarah Lee, Head Girl and a Ravenclaw, pouted. "You _did_ get more N.E.W.T.S. than I did. I _reall_y wanted to be Valedictorian…" 

Anthony nodded with a smile, although he was getting a bit frustrated with his partner. The two were in charge of setting up the graduation ceremony for the end of the week. It was a very tedious job, and the redhead would rather be wandering the halls with Taylor… 

"Anthony? Did you hear me?" Sarah asked, crossing her arms and smirking. A thick blue headband held her wavy shoulder length black hair back, and her slanted eyes narrowed at him. Anthony blushed and pushed his glasses up his nose. 

"No, sorry Sarah, what did you say?" He asked sheepishly. Sarah rolled her eyes and began again, 

"Did you hear about the new Charms professor? For next year?" She said, her eyes bright. Anthony shook his head, but he didn't hear anything else she said. Taylor and Brian had turned the corner, and now they were both waving for him to come and join them. A goofy smile slid on his face as he thought of what the three could do this afternoon…

"Anthony!" Sarah screamed. He snapped back to reality and put his hands on her shoulder. 

"Sarah!" He yelled back, in the same tone she had used. She pursued her lips in annoyance. "Tell me later, I have some urgent business to take care of." 

Before she could respond, Anthony swept by her and down the hallway. When he reached his two fellow Gryffindors, he grabbed Taylor's hand and pulled her into the adjacent corridor, with Brian right on their heels. 

The trio laughed excitedly as they hid in an indent in the wall. They hushed their giggles as Sarah and Professor Flitwick marched by. 

"_Really_, you would _think_ he'd take all of this seriously!" She muttered. Flitwick just nodded, his face similar to the one Anthony had been wearing. 

After a few moments, Brian peered out into the hall to check if they had gone. He looked down the hallway to watch them turn the corner into the Great Hall. Smiling brightly, he turned back to his friends. Brian's smile quickly faded as he saw Anthony and Taylor a little…_wrapped up_ in each other. 

"Good grief." He moaned. He gave them a dismissive gesture, and left to wander the halls looking for _something _to do. 

Anthony and Taylor held their kiss until they could no longer hear Brian's footsteps. They burst into giggles and Anthony hugged her tightly around the waist. 

"You're really _bad_, for a prefect." He murmured, kissing her forehead. Taylor smiled seductively at him, curling his hair around her fingers. 

"And you're absolutely _horrible_ as Head Boy." She smiled and kissed his lips softly, pushing up his glasses in the process. 

"Mmm…" Anthony sighed. "Well, I only have a week left with the position." They left their hiding spot and started walking aimlessly around the halls. 

"Excited about the match? It decides who the cup goes to." Taylor asked, slipping her arm through his. Anthony nodded vigorously, 

"Of course!" He exclaimed. "Jacob wouldn't shut up about it all week, I'm _really_ surprised that he allowed them to take these last few hours off." 

"Yeah, I think he wore himself out after yesterday's practice. He couldn't make it up the stairs without help from Brian and Andrew." She said as they past the Library. 

The old wooden doors swung open and the two were knocked to the ground. 

"Oomph." was the noise made by four very different voices. Anthony sat up first and rubbed his head. 

Emily and Orion had run right into them. The two were blushing furiously as they helped Anthony and Taylor up. 

"I'm s-s-_so_ sorry!" Emily stuttered, wiping some dirt off of her older brother. Her hair was an absolute mess around her rather red face and she smiled innocently up at him. Anthony didn't buy her act for a second, 

"What happened? What's going on?" 

"Nothing!" Emily and Orion exclaimed at the same time. Anthony shot a suspicious look towards Orion (who was expertly dodging his eyes) and then looked at Taylor. She was smiling from ear to ear. 

"Come along now, Anthony." The blonde said happily, grabbing Anthony's arm and pulling him down the hallway. 

Emily giggled nervously as she watched them turn a corner. Orion turned to her sheepishly and pecked her on the cheek. The young Weasley smiled, taking his hand in hers. 

"What do you think that was about?" Anthony asked Taylor as they past a few fifth year Ravenclaws (who waved little Ravenclaw flags at them). Taylor had been literally dragging him away from his sister, and Anthony felt the need to go interrogate her later. 

Taylor shrugged and gripped his hand even tighter. They stopped in front of the Charms classroom and she crossed her eyes at him. 

"They were just embarrassed for slipping up in front the _Head Boy_." She giggled and pulled him closer, leaning into his arm. Anthony rolled his eyes at the comment. 

"You and Jacob have _not _stopped bothering me about this title since the _beginning _of the year! You would think it was something bad!" He exclaimed. 

"Of course it isn't bad! It's wonderful!" Taylor's voice rang through the hallway, and was echoed by a very familiar voice. The two seventh years stared at each other oddly, and then turned to look in the classroom they were standing in front of. 

"Oh God." Anthony whispered. Taylor suppressed a giggle and waved. 

Hermione Granger-Weasley stood in the doorway, smiling brightly.

"Hello you two!" She said happily, clapping her hands. Taylor immediately broke away from Anthony and hugged Hermione around the neck. 

"Mrs. Weasley!" Taylor squealed, letting her go and turning back to Anthony. "It's _your mother_!" 

Anthony nodded dumbly, but smiled as his mother hugged him. 

"Mum." He said softly. Hermione patted some of Anthony's hair down, even though she had to go on the very tips of her toes to reach the spot that was out of place. He grabbed her wrists before she could do anymore. "What are you doing here?" Anthony asked, a little ruder than he should have. 

Hermione backed up and put her hands on her hips.

"Nice to see you too!" She laughed, hitting his shoulder. Taylor wanted to giggle, but kept quiet. Anthony sent her a glare. Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder and continued. "I'm here to take a look at my new classroom." 

Anthony's jaw dropped as he realized what was going on. His mother had been waiting for Professor Flitwick to retire, because she had been assured to be his replacement. She already had lesson plans set up, "Just in case." Anthony had often prayed that he would not have to have her as a teacher. Poor Emily.

"That's wonderful!" Taylor said happily, pushing Anthony towards his mother. He smiled widely and wrapped her up in a hug, spinning her around. Hermione couldn't help but giggle as she hugged her son back.

"Oh I'm so glad I ran into you two, I was about to go wandering the halls, didn't want to…er…_interrupt_ anything." She said softly, darting her eyes from her son to his girlfriend. The two blushed immediately and their eyes found something very interesting on the ground. 

Hermione just laughed, 

"You two crack me up sometimes!" She patted Anthony on the back. "Now, tell me, have you found that secret room, right outside the entrance to the dorms?" 

Anthony and Taylor looked up at her, eyes wide with surprise. Hermione smiled slyly at them, and tapped her foot. The two blushed with utter humiliation; they knew that room _very _well. 

"Alright, there's no one looking, come on." Jacob whispered to Soledad. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the abandoned field behind the rickety old house. After spending some time in Hogwarts, Jacob had decided that the two needed a little more privacy. 

"Are you _positive _this place is safe?" Soledad said nervously, gripping Jacob's hand tighter. He turned and sent her a reassuring smile,

"No worries, this place has been abandoned since before our _parents_ were born!" His hand slipped from her hand and to her waist as he opened the back door of the Shrieking Shack. 

Soledad's blush didn't reach her face as they entered the house. Cobwebs covered every piece of run down furniture in the living room. The afternoon light shone through, giving the entire room an eerie look…not that the entire house wasn't eerie. 

The curly haired girl immediately found herself much closer to Jacob than she would have dared to be in Hogwarts. The house was absolutely terrifying her; shivers raced up and down her body. 

"_Ay_, Jacob." She whimpered, pulling her hands over her eyes. The redhead smiled down at the small girl, and he wrapped both his arms around her to pull her into a comforting hug. 

"Solely…" He said; using a nickname he had for her. Soledad tilted her head up at him and peeked through her fingers. "There is nothing to be worried about here, _prometo._" 

Soledad removed her hands and smiled at him, and Jacob gladly returned it.

"You're getting better at that." She said as she peered around the room again. "Soon we'll be able to have secret conversations." 

They shared a laugh, and then began to creep towards an old couch. Still a little wary, Soledad stayed back as Jacob performed a few charms that cleaned the furniture.

"You're mama would be proud." She joked. Jacob rolled his eyes, and sat down on the couch. He motioned for her to join him, which she did, plopping down next to him.

"She'd probably tell me I should do that to my room." They giggled in the odd light of the room, and felt absolutely comfortable leaning back on the couch. 

It was nice to be away from the bustle of noise at Hogwarts. Sure, they could hear Hogsmeade buzzing, but the Shrieking Shack owned a very secluded silence, and it was something the two Quidditch players needed before their big match.

"Solely?" Jacob whispered, turning his head slightly towards her. She turned, intrigued by the softness of his voice.

"Yes?" She asked, equally as soft. Jacob smiled tenderly at her, and his face looked as if he was contemplating a serious question.

"I was wondering…" He paused, trying to think of how to ask her this. "Would you like to spend some time with me…_after_ Hogwarts?" 

Soledad sat up quickly, apparently very confused. 

"¿_Que? _I don't understand…" He sat up with her, taking her hands in his.

"We can't exactly call it Summer Holiday anymore…because we're not coming back here in September…" Jacob started to explain. "I don't know what I'm asking, I just know that I need to spend more time with you." He said quickly, looking into her eyes.

Soledad smiled at the redhead and leaned forward to knock their foreheads together. Jacob blushed at the gesture, and he reached up and touched her cheek, pushing a loose curl behind her ear. 

"Is this an odd way of asking me to be _tú novia…_your girlfriend?" She asked softly, her eyes darting from his baby blues to his lips. Jacob blushed even more, the heat from it making him suffocate in his Quidditch attire. Slowly, he nodded. 

"In an odd way, yes." 

Soledad didn't even answer his question before the two found themselves kissing. Jacob had immediately wrapped both his arms around and her, and her hands were pushed against his chest. They had never kissed like this before, but after a little more than three years of emotion brewing, the two had no problem in figuring it out. 

"How _sweet_." A low voice grumbled. Soledad squealed in Jacob's mouth and jumped up in surprise. The redhead immediately stood up, flinging out his wand. 

Jacob looked around the living room in search for the owner of the voice. It hadn't been his imagination, seeing Soledad shake was enough proof that she had heard it as well. 

He didn't dare say a word, but the creaking of the floor showed him _exactly _where the perpetrator was.

"_Accio Invisibility Cloak!_" Jacob screamed, hoping that he was as successful as his brother was last night. 

Luckily, he was. The cloak fell into his hands, and a short figure appeared in the shadows. 

"Who are you?" Jacob called out, mustering all the strength he had. Of course he was nervous, no one in his right mind wouldn't be. The figure didn't move. 

"It's been a long time, my, how you've grown." He said, in a disgusting drawl. Jacob's ears perked at the voice…where had he heard it before…?

Jacob started towards the figure, with a few whimpers from Soledad. She had stood up too, her wand pointed right at the person. With his free hand, Jacob motioned for her to stay back, but she barely obliged. 

"_Lumos._" Jacob whispered, when he was close enough to the figure. The light at the tip of his wand brightened the room enough to show the features of the person's face. 

With a gasp, Jacob stumbled back away. His wand still pointed at the man, but it shook violently. All the blood in his face rushed down to his feet, making them tingle in fright. He swore he was looking at a ghost. Soledad spoke first,

"Richard." She squeaked.


	15. Complete and Utter Madness

Richard Malfoy's light blonde hair was hanging limply around his face, and his short stature reminded Jacob of Quidditch Beaters. His light blue eyes seemed to have faded away to a dull gray, and the snarl on his face was full of animosity. There was stubble on his face, and his clothes seemed like they were taken from some old Muggle shop. From what the two had last heard, he had been sent to St. Mungo's for psychiatric treatment a couple of months ago, for he had gone completely and utterly mad. 

"I was going to wait until graduation to show my face." Richard said, taking a step towards the two. Jacob gulped and steadied his arm, pointing the wand right towards Malfoy's forehead. 

"To do what? You haven't got a wand." Jacob asked tauntingly, although he had no idea where he found his courage. 

Memories of the Malfoy brothers attacking Anthony flooded his mind, and quite suddenly, his face began to regain the heat it had lost. He never saw Richard or Stephen after that terrible afternoon…they had been the cause of his brother's many night tremors and sleepless nights…he could never forgive them and now that he had his chance…_no_, he couldn't attack him, he didn't have a wand…that wouldn't be honorable. 

Richard snorted, interlocking his fingers to crack them. 

"You ruined my life. I had to live like a bloody Muggle." He spat, taking another step towards them, though now he was wary of the two wands pointed at him. 

"You ruined _your own_ life." Jacob said back, equally as vicious. Then, Richard laughed. It was a bit strangled, but the laugh sent chills down both Jacob and Soledad's backs. 

"My father told me to just ignore Weasels…" Richard growled. "To just act as if they don't even count…_which_ they don't…" Jacob started towards him, but Soledad held him back. Richard grinned slightly. "But the stupid girl…that stupid _bitch_…" He looked around Jacob to stare at Soledad, and his expression softened, a miniscule amount.

"So you got rid of her? Found yourself a prettier piece of meat?" 

Two thoughts crossed Jacob's mind: one, to kill Richard for saying that about Soledad. Two, Richard thought he was Anthony…the same mistake the brothers had made six years ago.

"You're in_sane_." Jacob whispered. He began to back away, pushing Soledad softly towards the door. "We're _leaving_. You won't be able to get out of here once we're gone, and if you take one more step towards us, I will be _forced_ to stun you."

Richard just stared at them, burying his hands in his pockets.

Jacob sent one last stare towards the deranged Malfoy, and turned around, to usher Soledad out the door. She sent him a very concerned stare as she tugged onto his sleeve. Jacob sent her a reassuring smile as she reached for the knob of the door. He had a few locking charms he was going to place on the house.

"Hey Weasel," Richard called. Jacob rolled his eyes and much to Soledad's protests, he turned around. 

Richard wasn't as visible as he was before. But, from what Jacob could see, the blonde had his arm pointed towards him. He squinted, and it occurred to Jacob that Richard was holding something. 

Jacob didn't have a chance to examine Richard more closely. A blast rung out around them, and Jacob was suddenly on the floor. 

"Ow..." Anthony moaned, grabbing his left shoulder. An immense pain shot through it, and now it throbbed with consistency. Something flashed in front of his eyes, an image of…_him. _Anthony shuddered at the thought. 

Taylor looked up at him, and put down her book.

"You alright?" She asked, touching the shoulder softly. The blonde was immediately reminded of his nightmare last night. Anthony's pained look did not disappear, and now Taylor grew concerned. "Anthony?" She whispered. 

He turned to her, and forced a smile. 

"Must be sore." He said through gritted teeth. Of course, Taylor didn't believe him for a second, and she stood up.

"Come on, we're going to the hospital wing. You might have dislocated it or something." She said, her voice full of urgency. Anthony rolled his eyes as she dragged him up by his other arm. 

"I can't have dislocated it by just _moving _it." He complained as they left the common room.

"You never know, love." Taylor said dismissively, striding down the halls at full speed. Anthony kept his left arm tucked in, and tried to ignore the pain that continued to shock him. 

It took them a few extra minutes to get to the Hospital Wing, for the two Gryffindors seemed to run into every Ravenclaw in all of Hogwarts ("You're going to lose and that's _final_!" Taylor had screamed at one point).

Taylor pushed the doors to the Hospital Wing open and quickly noticed that Madame Pomfrey did not accost them immediately. 

"Come on, she must be in the back." She muttered, angry that her boyfriend was not getting the attention he needed. Anthony pulled away from Taylor, and she quickly spun to look at him. "What is it?" 

With his not-throbbing hand, Anthony put up one finger to silence her. Instantly, Taylor realized what he was doing, and she began to listen carefully. 

There was a murmur of voices behind the curtain the two were standing near. As they shifted closer, the voices became more recognizable. 

"You think he's around _here_?" Professor Potter asked, clearly angry.

"How can you be so sure?" Hermione Granger-Weasley choked out. Anthony immediately grew more concerned at his mother's voice. 

"I'm not, it's just a feeling." Headmaster Dumbledore said quietly. "He should be of no real threat to us, even if he is on the loose. Richard Malfoy has not held a wand since he was expelled."

"Then why the secrecy?" Madame Pomfrey asked, clearly confused. Dumbledore sighed softly. 

"The Daily Prophet reported that a Muggle shop had been broken into by a man that looked suspiciously like Richard, and that he had stolen some _very_ dangerous items." 

"Oh wow…" Taylor whispered, completely in shock. Her eyes had been locked on the shadows moving behind the curtains. Her 'brother' was insane…wasn't he? Who knows what he could do now that he was out of the restraints of St. Mungo's…he could never _stop _being a wizard…he might be able to make some terrible things happen without the use of a wand…

There was a small _thud _to her side, and Taylor jumped. She turned to look at the noise, and gasped.

"Anthony!" She exclaimed. He had fallen to the ground, his legs underneath him, and his face white. Taylor bent down beside him and took his face in her hands. A cold sweat had formed on his forehead and he looked up at her with eyes that contained the utmost fear. 

There was a shuffle behind the curtains, and the four adults appeared behind them. 

"Oh!" Madame Pomfrey squeaked as Hermione rushed to her son's side. Taylor was pushed away as Professor Potter came over to help Hermione lift him up.

"Move…" Professor Potter groaned; Anthony was much taller than he was. Hermione had almost burst into tears at the sight of her son in such shock, but the two managed to sit Anthony on the closest bed. 

He was shaking, and his right hand was rubbing his left shoulder roughly. Hermione put an arm around his shoulder, but Anthony didn't seem to respond to the touch of his mother. Madame Pomfrey had run off, most likely to retrieve something to sooth the boy.

"Anthony…" Hermione whispered soothingly as she patted down his hair. "It's alright…"

He shook his head violently and threw his hands down onto the bed.

"No! He's here, I know it!" He cried loudly, turning to stare his mother in the eyes. Silence fell onto the room as all eyes remained on Anthony. His breathing was ragged, and it soon began to quicken. Dumbledore broke the silence, 

"Why do you think that, Mr. Weasley?" He asked softly. Anthony's eyes darted away from Hermione's and to the floor, then to Dumbledore.

"I…I don't know…exactly." He admitted. Anthony was surprised to see that Dumbledore did not look disappointed. "My shoulder." He said suddenly, not really knowing himself where the thought had come from. 

"What about it?" Taylor asked, peering between Dumbledore and Professor Potter. Anthony gripped his shoulder tightly. 

"It just started hurting out of no where…and the first thought that came to my mind was…" He paused and took a breath, "was when Stephen placed the curse on me." 

Hermione gripped her son's arm tightly, Professor Potter unconsciously rubbed his scar, and Taylor covered her mouth with her hands to hold back any sounds she was ready to make. Dumbledore remained eerily still. 

"So he's attacked." Professor Potter said softly, staring intently at Anthony. Taylor held a sob, and Dumbledore nodded. 

"Wait, I don't understand…" Madame Pomfrey whispered, coming towards them with a tray of different potions. 

"When one survives an Unforgivable Curse…" Dumbledore began. "That person is marked for life, to feel pain whenever their attacker hurts another. But, Richard didn't perform the curse…" 

"He held me, right until Stephen said…" Anthony said quickly, and then he bit his tongue. He hadn't talked about the experience in a long time, and now…the emotions began to resurface.

"It's okay, darling." Hermione whispered, running a hand up and down his back. 

"So there's reason for him to be connected to Anthony." Professor Potter said, trying to ignore the tension. Dumbledore nodded slightly, though still not convinced. He had another idea of why Anthony was feeling the pain.

"Yes…it could be." The wise wizard turned towards Taylor, who was still staring at Anthony with her eyes wide. "Miss. Parkinson?" He asked softly. She turned towards him, her hand still on her mouth. "Do you know where Jacob is?" 

Brian Weasley ran into the Great Hall, bursting the doors open. The few students that were in the room looked up, just to see the Gryffindor in an odd state. He looked absolutely hysterical. 

His green eyes were extremely wide, and his mouth was contorted in some weird smile/sneer. 

"Is Jacob in here?!" He screamed, in a voice that was much higher than his normal one. 

Brian scanned the room for any shade of red other than Gryffindor robes. He nearly fainted when he saw Emily, Orion, and Ronny. 

He raced down the aisle and skidded to a halt. In one quick swoop, he grabbed Ronny by the collar of his robes, and pulled him out of his seat.

"Brian!" Emily and Ronny screamed. Brian stared at his cousins oddly. 

"I _need _him!" He yelled. It didn't bother him at all that everyone was staring at him. Then, he saw Orion. "_You_! I need you too!" He began to drag Ronny out of the Great Hall, and Emily and Orion followed,

"What's going on?" Emily asked, actually running to catch up with her insane cousin. Brian, with his free hand, began to make wild gestures.

"It's three thirty, _three thirty_!" He exclaimed, tugging on Ronny's collar harder. "Jacob and Soledad are _nowhere _to be seen, and the game starts in _thirty minutes_!" 

"What does that have to do with us?" Orion asked, clearly interested now. Emily lagged behind slightly and Orion slowed down to grab her hand to help her catch up. Brian stopped abruptly, causing the two to ram into him.

He spun around, an odd flare in his eyes. 

"_You _are going to play replacement Chaser. And Ronny here," He lifted Ronny about a foot off the ground. "Is going to play Keeper." 

"What!?" The two boys shouted, although they were clearly excited.

"But it's the deciding match!" Ronny said, his voice cracking. "You're going to let _us _play in the _de-ci-ding _match?!"

"Would you rather have us _for_feit? To _Ra_venclaw?" He growled, and Ronny shook his head. Brian's head snapped to Orion, and the boy shook his head as well. Brian seemed to look triumphant…or maniacal. "Good. Now, to the Quidditch pitch!" 

He let go of Ronny and ran off, yelling madly at any student who passed him. 

The three Gryffindors stared at each other for a few moments, but then decided to run off and catch the insane Co-captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. 

Brian turned a corner, actually, _slid _around the corner, and of course, ran into someone. Instead of falling, he caught her quite suddenly, and literally swept her off her feet. 

Sarah Lee did not look pleased. Brian blushed as he held her from under her legs and around her back. 

"Put. Me. _Down._" She demanded. Quickly, Brian agreed and gently placed her on the floor. 

"So sorry Sarah; wasn't paying attention." And he looked behind him to see if the was anywhere near. 

"When do you _ever_?" She muttered, smoothing out her skirt. Brian rolled his eyes as she adjusted her Head Girl badge. "Now, have you seen Anthony?"

"Are you _obsessed_ with arranging this ceremony?" Brian moaned, putting his hand to his head. Sarah looked as if she was ready to start a rant and Brian shuddered softly, "I _really _have to be going…"

"Brian! Do I get to ride _Jake's_ broom?" Ronny asked excitedly, as the three finally caught up. 

"I suppose, I bet he won't mind, just don't scratch it." Brian said, smiling at the boy. "You're going to do a fine job, and this will definitely secure a spot for you next…year…" 

His gaze had slowly turned to Sarah, who was quietly sneaking away. Brian realized, for the first time today, that she was a Ravenclaw.

"Oh no you don't!" He exclaimed, running after her and catching her arm. Sarah smiled sarcastically at him, and she quickly tried to get out of Brian's grasp.

"_Excuse _me while I go to _my _common room to support _my _House!" She squealed, as Brian began to drag her towards the Quidditch pitch. 

"And let you tell Daniel that we have two substitute players? You _must _be crazy!" 

Emily, Orion, and Ronny watched in amazement as Sarah's face burned a deep crimson. The five students began down the hall, and outside towards the Quidditch pitch. 

"I _swear_ Brian Weasley! After _all_ these years of driving me ab-so-_lutely_ in_sane_, this _has_ to be the _stu_pidest thing you've ever—mmm!" 

The Head Girl was not able to finish her rant, because as quickly as Brian had swooped Ronny out of his seat, he had grabbed Sarah's shoulders, and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. The Ravenclaw stood limply in his arms, and did not push him away. The trio stared in shock. 

Brian broke the kiss and looked down at Sarah, whose eyes were wide and face was burning. Brian's face had flushed as well. 

"No Sarah," He said, his voice a bit husky. The Ravenclaw's knees wobbled. "_That _was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Now, come on." 

And they all headed towards the Quidditch pitch.

"_Jacob_!" Soledad screamed, dropping to her knees. Richard began to laugh loudly, dropping whatever he had in his hands and clutching his sides. 

Jacob had absolutely no idea what had hit him, but it _hurt. _It had hit him underneath the center of his left collarbone. His left shoulder and chest throbbed with agonizing pain, and he felt his throat closing. He was on his knees, but he really didn't think that he could stay on them, not that he could really _think_…

The room blurred around him, and he leaned forward, ready to fall face first to the ground. He did. 

"_¡Ay Dios_, _ay DIOS!_" Soledad screamed again, tears streaming down her cheeks. Quickly, she grabbed Jacob's shoulders and rolled him onto his back. She covered her mouth with her hands and began to sob at the sight. 

His Quidditch jersey was soaked with deep red blood, starting from his left shoulder and trickling down like estuaries.

Jacob's eyes blinked furiously, and Soledad leaned over him, putting a hand on his cheek. His rolling eyes finally focused on her. 

"Hi." He whispered, though it seemed to take a lot of effort. Soledad's tears began to fall more freely as she watched him struggle. Richard continued to laugh. 

The curly haired girl listened to the laughs of the Malfoy. Gritting her teeth, Soledad stood up, her wand tightly gripped in her hand. 

"_Fix him_." She demanded, pointing her wand at Richard and stepping towards him.

Soledad had absolutely no idea what was wrong with Jacob, for she had grown up in a Wizard only community; she assumed the weapon was Muggle. Richard immediately stopped laughing and stood up straight, crossing his arms. 

"Hell if I know how." He snorted, as he doubled over in laughter again. Blood rushed to Soledad's face as she stormed towards him, but was stopped, by a weak voice.

"Don't." Jacob croaked. Soledad turned around to see him trying to push himself up on his good arm. Without turning her back to Richard, she was immediately back at Jacob's side.

"Try not to use too much energy." She whispered, pushing some of his hair out of his face. Soledad wrapped an arm around his good side to help him sit up. "You'll need it for the game." 

Jacob forced a smile and nodded, wincing in pain. 

"Cut the shit and take me to Hogwarts." Richard said, with a vicious tone. Soledad looked up, and her eyes widened as he saw him pointing the object at her. "I know you two are the only students in Hogsmeade, show me how you got here." She pointed her wand at him, and was ready to stun him when Jacob choked slightly. 

Soledad looked down at him with pure fear, just to see him smiling. She stared oddly at him, and he whispered,

"Take him." 

"_¡¿Que?!_" She hissed, moving closer to him. "He could hurt others!" 

Jacob closed his eyes and smiled wider.

"Trust me, he won't." He opened his eyes, and they were shining. 

Soledad stared at Jacob until her eyes hurt from not blinking. Then, she released a breath, and leaned forward. She kissed him on the nose, and then stood up.

"Alright, let me take care of Jacob, and then…I'll take you to Hogwarts." 


	16. Visions From The Past

Taylor had a mission. Well, she and Professor Potter had a mission. The two of them were sent to scour the school for Jacob Weasley, but Dumbledore had not told them why.

Although, Taylor believed that Professor Potter had a better idea why than she did, not that she didn't have an idea. She believed that Jacob had something to do with Anthony's pain. But…she refused to think that her boyfriend's twin was in pain because of Richard. The blonde had no idea what she would do with herself if _another _person she cared about were hurt because of him. 

Anthony's torture in their first year had caused Taylor to not trust anyone but the twins and their relatives. It wasn't a hard task, since they had so many, and the blonde was relatively happy with her the friendships she had formed. Relatively. 

What would she do when she graduated Hogwarts? There was no way her mother would approve of her moving in with Anthony…her mother had barely acknowledged his existence the last time they had seen each other. She still saw him as an insignificant Weasley. But…she'd been with him for the past seven years of her life, how was she suddenly supposed to adjust to a life without him?

A clanging of metal knocked Taylor out of her deep thought. She found herself in the Gryffindor hall; standing near the window Stephen had pushed Anthony into those many years ago. 

The solitary knight armor that stood in the hall shook slightly, which wasn't unusual; sometimes spirits possessed the suits of armor to scare the little first years. She was sure that if there _were _a spirit inside of it, it wouldn't be able to see her from where she was standing. 

Taylor gasped as the suit of armor fell to the ground, and pieces of it began to skid down the hall. Realizing that the spirit inside was _not _a good one, she lifted her self onto the window's large ledge, and kept herself against the inside of it. Hopefully the spirit would not bother her. Maybe it was just Peeves. 

"_Tell _me the password!" A deep voice growled. Taylor quickly stiffened, as the voice continued. "You know _what_? I don't _need_ you anymore, anyway!" 

Taylor peeked around the edge, but still did not see anyone down in the hallway. Muffled screams could be heard, and the blonde squinted her eyes to try and see at least some outlines of the spirits. Then, a voice shouted out,

"You'll never get away with this!" Taylor's heart stopped as she realized that the voice belonged to Soledad. Another growl was heard, and seemingly from nowhere, Soledad flew out towards the wall, slamming into it. She slumped to the ground, eyes closed. 

_Oh God_. Taylor thought. _He's under an Invisibility Cloak_. She pushed herself against the ledge's wall and listened for Richard's footsteps. They headed towards portrait of the Fat Lady, and Taylor heard her yelling at him.

"Open the God damn door, you stupid ugly…" He said some words that she will not repeat. 

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me like that, whoever's there!" Taylor heard her scream. 

_This is my chance. _Taylor thought. She couldn't risk exposing her self, because she had no idea where he was; her _accio _charm was never very strong. Plus the fact that Dumbledore had stated he had stolen some very dangerous Muggle items. So, she decided to be sneaky. 

Kneeling on the ledge, Taylor positioned herself so that she was leaning over into the hallway, her one hand gripping the ledge with all its might. Her wand was pointed straight towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was still screaming in a shrilly voice.

"_Stup—_umph." 

She slipped. _Bloody hell _she thought in the split second it happened. Taylor had actually landed on her back, one of her legs still clinging to the ledge; she unconsciously pushed down her skirt. The fall had caused her head to bang her head on the ground, and Taylor's eyes fluttered for a few moments as she tried to regain some sense of focus. 

The sound of footsteps racing towards her helped her regain control and she pulled her leg down and somehow jumped up in a single motion. The footsteps stopped rather close to her, and Taylor felt Richard's eyes on her. 

It was then that she realized she had dropped her wand during the fall. Her eyes frantically searched the ground, but it was nowhere to be seen. _Oh God…_she thought. He had her wand. 

Taylor tensed and backed up against the wall. What could she do? If she ran, he'd probably stun her, and if she just stood there…he'd probably stun her too. For a brief second she wondered if he was powerful enough to perform the killing curse. 

"Come out from under the cloak, you coward." She hissed, having no idea where the comment came from. There was silence for a few moments, and then, the cloak fell to the floor. 

He looked just how she remembered him, short and stocky, his facial features sharp and jagged. Only…his eyes didn't have the same spark they used to, when he thought he was one of the rulers of Hogwarts. Taylor lurched her shoulders back, and she found it hard to keep her stomach down. 

Richard looked at her, with eyes the exact color of Taylor's. 

"You've grown." He whispered. There was something in his voice that sent chills down her spine, and she clenched her fists. 

"Nice of you to notice." Taylor said, in an equally cold voice. Richard eyed her carefully, as if he was lost for words.

"I was wrong, what I said to the boy." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Taylor had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "I told him she was prettier than you, I was wrong." 

A lump formed in Taylor's throat. _Jacob_. He had talked to Jacob. But…Soledad was here…

"Where is he?" She was able to croak. Richard smirked,

"Dying back there, I suppose." 

Taylor couldn't stop her knees from buckling beneath her, and she sat abruptly on the edge, staring into Richard's stern eyes. Words escaped her, and her head began to spin. Her throat closed, and she couldn't stop the tears that had sprung to her eyes. She closed them, and began to think of the twins, she loved them both dearly, and look what she had done to them…

"Anyway," Richard continued, as if nothing important had been said. "I've found what I want, and now, I get to finish the task my brother and I never even had a chance to attempt…" 

Before Taylor could react, his large hands had grabbed her neck, lifting her up, squeezing tightly. 

She hadn't expected to be attacked physically, she was sure that with her wand, he would have hexed and cursed her until she was rotting away.

He was strong. Taylor eyes remained tightly shut as his fingers dug deeper into her neck. Her small hands gripped his wrists, trying to stop the strain of her weight on her neck. Taylor's thin legs, still shaking from before, hung limply a few inches off the ground. She was in shock, complete and utter shock. 

Taylor didn't dare open her eyes; she didn't want Richard to be the last image her eyes saw. She continued to think of the twins, of her friends, of her mother… 

Her mother's pug face appeared, but the smile that shone at her brought warmth to the girl. Pansy Parkinson often told her daughter that she was the only thing that could make her truly smile…She began to see Jacob and Soledad happily laughing on their brooms as they hovered a few feet over the ground, trying to knock each other off…She saw Brian and James, towering over Lilly and Cassie, driving them to hysterical fits of giggles with their jokes…And Anthony…all she saw was his eyes; his eyes that stared down at her with all the love in the world…_God _she loved his eyes…

Anthony's eyes faded away into the darkness that engulfed Taylor's mind. 

Anthony stared at the Sleeping Potion that sat on the night table next to the bed he was in. It wasn't his bed; it was one of the white Hospital Wing beds, those hard, uncomfortable beds. He hated these beds.

Unknown to his parents, Anthony had slept in this very bed many times throughout his years at Hogwarts. When his night terrors would become uncontrollable, Jacob and Brian would sneak him down to the Hospital Wing using The Marauders Map. Madame Pomfrey, after the fifth time, she had set this bed up for him every night, Sleeping Potion ready.

He didn't want to take it though. He hated the taste of it, though he thought that it was his mind telling him he hated it. It tasted like strawberries. And Anthony liked strawberries…but he hated the Sleeping Potion. 

Anthony listened for the footsteps of his mother and Madame Pomfrey to disappear. He knew that they wouldn't go far, but they were far enough for him to escape. 

Without making the bed creak, Anthony slid off, and tiptoed towards the curtain. Slowly, he pulled it away, and peeked out. His assumptions were correct; his mother and Madame Pomfrey were on the other side of the Hospital Wing, talking into the fireplace. 

"How's he doing?" Anthony heard his father ask. 

"He just took a sleeping potion, he was a bit shaken up." Hermione answered, although her voice was still just as shaky as Anthony had been. 

Without listening to another word, Anthony flipped out his wand, pointed it to his chest and muttered his favorite charm,

"_Invisocorpus._" His body shook and he was now invisible for seventeen seconds. He crept towards the door of the Hospital Wing, which was barely open. 

Slinking into the hall way was much easier than Anthony had anticipated. It was eerily empty, and he assumed that the entire student body was getting in their seats for the Quidditch match. He wasn't about to go and join them.

Anthony knew the second Dumbledore had asked Taylor about Jacob, that the wise wizard knew something was wrong with him. The red head shuddered at the thought of his brother being hurt, and he was determined to find him before it was too late. 

Jacob had told Anthony that he was heading out to Hogsmeade with Soledad. He also told him that he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend, which Anthony thought was pretty brave, considering Jacob had never done that before. Maybe the two had gotten caught up in each other, and had lost track of time. Maybe.

His twin's favorite entrance to Hogsmeade was one Jacob and Ronny had discovered, one night after a Gryffindor Quidditch party. It was actually right in the hallway of the Gryffindors, hidden behind a suit of armor; it must have been _too _obvious for past students to find. 

So, that's where he was going. If Jacob wasn't back, if Jacob was missing, it must be because of something that had happened in Hogsmeade. There were very few things on this planet that could have stopped his brother from missing this game.

Anthony began to quicken his pace as he rushed by the Great Hall. Peeves was wearing a knight's helmet as he hovered ten feet in the air. The red head stopped, but he wasn't sure what had caused him to. The Poltergeist spotted him immediately,

"Oh _hello _there, your _majesty_, your _great_, your _royal_ Head Boy!" He giggled madly, the helmet swiveling around on his head. Anthony sighed softly and rubbed his shoulder.

"_Hello_ Peeves, what do you have there?" 

Peeves spun around and pulled the helmet off of his head, holding it in his grubby little hands. 

"Just some armor I found lying around, skidded out from the Gryffindor hallway, it did." 

Anthony's eyes left the helmet to stare at the Poltergeist.

"R-really?" He asked softly. Peeves nodded, not noticing the anxious look on the Head Boy's face.

"Oh yes, bounced madly on top of Mrs. Norris, and I snatched it before that wretched Filch could get it. Chased me for a good ten minutes! Here, take a look!" And he tossed the helmet to Anthony, who barely caught it. 

"Thanks…Peeves…" He said, staring at the helmet. As if snapping back into reality, Anthony began to race down the hallway, helmet under his arm. 

"Hey! Bring that back!" Peeves screamed, but as he began to chase Anthony, a pair of first years walked out of the Great Hall, and the Poltergeist found them _much _more interesting ("Oooh! Ickle Firsties!").

As he raced past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, a huge quaver of pain shot down his left side, and his momentum threw him down, the helmet clanging on the ground. Anthony was able to keep his head from bouncing off the floor by putting his hands out, but his knees weren't so lucky. Now, his legs shook in pain and his shoulder continued to throb.

For a few moments, Anthony didn't think he had the strength to lift himself up. He had never felt so weak before…it was almost as if his energy was slowly fading away…

_I have to find Jacob._ He thought, gritting his teeth. With all his might, despite his throbbing shoulder and knees, Anthony pushed himself up and started towards the Gryffindor hallway.

Before he got up, however, he noticed something sparkling near the helmet. He bent down to examine it closer, and was surprised to see a golden ring stuck on one of the hinges. Anthony picked up the helmet and unhooked the ring. 

It was really beautiful ring, a golden band with what seemed to be an ivy vine circling it. He wondered how it had gotten in there, and twirled it in his fingers. Deciding that no one had seen it in many, _many_, years, Anthony slipped it in his pocket, not sure what he was going to do with it, and continued on his trek. 

As he got closer to the hallway, he noticed more pieces of knight's armor lying around, and Anthony pulled out his wand. The red head reached the corner that turned down to Gryffindor Tower, and a chill slipped through his body; he felt someone's presence. 

Slowly, he peered around the corner, and his heart literally stopped.

Taylor was in the grasp of Richard Malfoy, dangling in his hands about a quarter meter off the ground. The speed of the blood rushing to Anthony's face was slow compared to his trek towards Malfoy. 

Of course, Malfoy saw him, and he dropped Taylor to the ground, though still holding her neck. Anthony's wand was pointed straight at the man, and Malfoy quickly pulled the girl in front of him, his arm around her neck. 

"Come to finish me off, Weasel?" 

"Get. Off. Of. _Her_." Anthony said, his voice deeper and darker than it had ever been. Taylor opened her eyes at his words, staring at him as if she didn't believe he was real. The boy's gaze did not soften at hers.

He had expected to be terrified confronting Richard, but an enormous batch of Gryffindor courage was swelling in his chest, and Anthony knew he was _not _going to back down. 

Richard pulled on Taylor tighter, and she grimaced again, still prying at his wrists. Anthony wondered where her wand was as he took a few steps towards them. 

"I wouldn't do that, Weasel." Richard growled, shoving his free hand into his pocket. Anthony paused, realizing that Malfoy might have Taylor's wand. 

He never expected what he pulled out.

"A gun?" Anthony choked out, hardly believing what he was seeing. Richard snarled and put the gun to Taylor's temple. She gasped at his touch, shutting her eyes.

"It's very useful, and I'm very good at using it." He prodded the side of Taylor's head with it again, smirking victoriously at the red head.

Anthony lowered his arm, leaving his wand at his side. He stared at Richard in disbelief, and then he did something that sent shivers through Malfoy's body.

He laughed. 

It was only a small chuckle, but the smile---no---_smirk _that Anthony now had on his face made Richard _very _uneasy. Taylor peeked her eyes open to stare at her boyfriend, and she looked on at him with great confusion. 

"What are you laughing at?!" Richard demanded, tightening his arm around Taylor's neck and poking her with the gun again. This caused Anthony's laughter to increase, and he crossed his arms to try to contain himself. "WHAT?!" 

The red haired boy shook his head softly, using one had to push up his glasses. He clicked his tongue at Richard, and tilted his head slightly.

"Muggle devices don't _work_ in Hogwarts, you fool." Anthony spat, grinning widely. Richard shook his head and pointed the gun at the red head. 

"You're lying! I _just_ used it!"

It was then that Anthony noticed the heap red and gold behind them. He saw the brown curls of Soledad, and his stomach flipped a little. _No._ He thought. Anthony knew that he was right, the gun wouldn't work; it couldn't. He must've shot her…in Hogsmeade? Then…then where's Jacob? 

"It works!" Malfoy screamed again, and Anthony heard the click of the trigger. 

Nothing happened. Richard stared at the gun in amazement, and he began to shake it, then trying to fire it again. The bullets remained inside. 

Anthony raised his wand to eye level as he started to approach Richard and Taylor.

"Tsk tsk Malfoy, didn't you ever read Hogwarts, A History?" Anthony said, and his chest filled with pride. He had to hug his mother later for introducing him to that book those many years ago. 

Richard, whose face had gone scarlet, backed up, with Taylor still in his grasp. From what Anthony could tell, the girl looked very weak, and her eyes had been closed since the sound of the first trigger. 

"Just let her go, and we'll take you back to St. Mungo's, you'll be better off there."  
  


"NO!" Richard screamed, thrashing the arm with the gun about. "I can't go back there! I don't belong there, I'M NOT _MAD_!" 

"Then I will just have to stun you." Anthony said, in his calmest voice. 

Richard shook his head, shutting his eyes.

"I _dare _you to risk it, with me holding your precious little _girl_friend."

Anthony growled and took a few more steps towards Richard, but noticed that the Malfoy didn't budge. He had a smug look on his face, which made Anthony's burn even more.

"Let her _GO_." He yelled, causing red and gold sparks to fly out of his wand. Richard stepped back slightly, dragging Taylor's feet along the ground.

"Make me." Richard hissed softly, and in a split second, he had smashed the gun to the side of Taylor's head.

"NO!" Anthony screamed, reaching for Taylor, who had slumped in Richard's grasp. His face was scarlet, but he knew that he could not risk hitting Taylor with a curse.

"Your aim not good enough to try and hit me?" He taunted. "Mr. 'I-Survived-The-Cruciatus-Curse-At-Only-Eleven' is not up to par? Come on, hit me with your best--"

He didn't finish his sentence, because a shrilly voice from behind him screamed,

"_STUPEFY_!" Two rays of yellow light shot out towards Malfoy.

Richard slumped to the ground, and Anthony dived to catch the falling Taylor. He caught her, oddly. With a bit of a baseball slide,he was able to catch his unconscious girlfriend, and then he fell to the ground on his back, Taylor lying on top of him. 

"Oh..." He moaned, sitting up and carefully holding Taylor in his arms.

Soledad was standing up, shaking terribly. In her hands she had both her wand and Taylor's. She looked at Anthony and smiled weakly, tossing him Taylor's wand. 

Her lip was bleeding, but she didn't notice, and her right eye was squinting as it swelled. The ponytail that held her brown curls was now very loose, letting her hair stand up in frizzy ringlets. 

"Soledad…" He whispered, and as fast as he could, Anthony swept Taylor up into his arms, and started towards his friend. Soledad put a hand up, shaking her head. "Wha…what?" 

He watched as tears formed in her eyes, and she sobbed slightly. Anthony wanted to throw up as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Anthony…" She started, wiping her eyes with her free hand. Anthony noticed that she had dry blood all over her hands. 

"Where's Jacob?" He choked out, pulling Taylor closer to him. He held her under her legs and behind her back; her head lolling onto his shoulder. 

At his words, Soledad's sobs became more rapid, and she dropped her wand.

"Soledad, you _have _to tell me where Jacob is!" He shouted, his voice straining to remain strong. 

"He's…_ay Dios mio, _Anthony!" She fell to her knees and began to cry uncontrollably. 

Anthony's legs trembled and all he could do was think of not dropping Taylor to keep him standing. 

"Please tell me…" He whispered, staring down at her, eyes brimming with tears. "Soledad, _please_." 

"What's going on—OH!" Footsteps scrambled towards them, and soon, Hermione Weasley, Professor Potter, and Professor Snape joined them. 

Snape immediately bound Malfoy in many different types of ropes and knots, and lifted him off the ground, by muttering, "_Mobilicorpus_."

Hermione raced to Soledad's side, helping the girl stand up, and Professor Potter stopped near Anthony.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked quietly, pushing some hair away from his face, revealing his lightning bolt scar.

"I…I don't know…she…she was unconscious, then she woke up and knocked out Richard…then she just started crying…" He sputtered, still in a bit of shock. 

Professor Potter frowned and looked back towards the two women. Hermione had managed to stand Soledad up, but it didn't seem like she could get the girl to speak.

"Miss. Diego," Professor Potter said, taking a few steps towards her, "Why are you so upset, is it about Jacob?" 

At Jacob's name, Soledad began to cry harder, and she nodded, turning into Hermione and burying her head into the woman's shoulder. Hermione seemed to be at the brink of tears as well, and she listened closely to the mumbled voice of Soledad. 

Professor Snape stood by as well, listening carefully and not noticing that Richard was floating upside down. He bent down slowly, and picked up the gun, examining it. 

A small gasp escaped Hermione's lips, and she immediately laid her eyes on Anthony, and he knew, he absolutely _knew _what was wrong. 

"Where is he?" He whispered, backing away slightly. Professor Potter seemed to have understood too, and he unconsciously gripped his wand.

Hermione shut her eyes and then opened them, letting her tears fall freely. 

"He…he's in the Shrieking Shack." 

Jacob Weasley was tired. He sighed as one of his legs slid off of the couch he was lying on. He was far too tall to lie on it properly. 

The Shrieking Shack creaked in the wind of Hogsmeade, and Jacob thought of it as a _very _lonely place.

_I wonder what it was like for James' dad. _He thought. _James. James likes Lilly. Heh. That's funny. That's like her grandparents. How weird._

Another wave of pain shot through his body, and Jacob shuddered violently. He had told Soledad that it didn't hurt, that he just needed to rest. He _did _need to rest, for a _very _long time, so, _that _wasn't a lie. But, alas, it _did _hurt. 

At first, it had just been his shoulder area that was throbbing with pain. Before Soledad left, she placed a few healing charms on him, to stop the bleeding, but they must not have been strong enough because the stain on his jersey and the couch was getting bigger every time Jacob checked.

His head hummed in agony, and the ache had now spread to his chest. It almost felt as if someone was squeezing his lungs together, and his mouth was painfully dry. 

_Oy. _He thought. _What _**was** _that thing? I bet Anthony would know…he knows everything. _

Jacob opened his eyes, and the sunlight that flowed into them burned. He trembled again, this time, moaning.

_How much blood can you lose before you die? I hope it's a lot, I don't really want to die. But I guess…I guess if I do, I've had a pretty good life. I mean, I never graduated, and I never got to play in my last Quidditch match…hmm._

_What **else**__ haven't I done?_

_There's opening a Quidditch shop with Brian, I know he's going to be disappointed by that. Maybe James will help him, although I doubt he knows as much about Quidditch as I do. _

_Oh! That reminds me! I never saw Gaudio play, he retired right before Soledad invited me to a game. He was going to make a comeback this summer, playing in an All-Star game…damn. _

_I won't be Anthony's best man, and he won't be mine. I'll never get to see how nervous he is while watching Taylor coming down the aisle…because **of course**__ they're getting married! If they didn't, I would've had to kill him…_

_And Emily, oy, I won't see Emily graduate, or get married…and Delaney, she's can barely talk to me, but I love her so much._

Mum is going to be really upset, she's very emotional, crying at every single sappy moment. I've never seen her truly upset, except that time in first year…with Anthony. I never want to see her like that again. Dad'll probably be strong, I mean, if he cries, then Mum will completely lose it. I hope neither of them find me, I don't want them to see me like this… 

I never went to New York, I told my parents I was going to live there, to start a whole new Weasley clan. With…with Soledad. Oy…I never told her I loved her, I do, I do love her. I just didn't think the Shrieking Shack was a very romantic place, not that I think it's a very good place to die…

Voices interrupted his train of thought. Had he really heard that? Were there…were there really voices somewhere near him? Maybe…maybe he can call them…for help…

"Help." He tried to call, but it came out as a very strained gasp. Jacob couldn't believe how much that hurt, and he held in a sob. 

Bloody hell, I'm going to die. Good Godric, I'm** really** going to die. By some stupid Muggle device, God damn it! 

He tried to throw himself up, to at least sit up, but, it was no use, it was as if his body had given up. He started to shake, and it suddenly became very cold, the freezing air blowing on his cheeks and his eyelids brightened with the light that entered the room. 

Jacob opened his mouth to gasp, but he couldn't even do that. He cringed, and shook his head softly, back and forth…back and forth…

I don't want to die… 

His eyes began to roll around and his head swirled so much that he swore he could actually _feel _the swirling. He saw his family and friends waving at him, and oddly enough, he saw his mother's old cat, Crookshanks. He hadn't seen that cat since he was five, when it died. 

The ginger cat purred and nodded his head towards a bright white door. Everyone else disappeared, leaving just Jacob and the cat. 

"Crookshanks?" He called. He looked down at his body, and Jacob gasped softly. He was in full Quidditch attire, standing up in a grassy field. The wind was blowing the blades of grass slowly in the direction of the white door.

Crookshanks seemed to roll his eyes, and he started to walk towards the white door. 

"Come on Jacob, you used to chase me all the time!" The ginger cat said jumping up into a little dance. Jacob didn't even wonder how it could speak. 

"I was five." He answered. "I'm sorry I chased you, I know you didn't like that." 

Crookshanks looked back at him, and smiled widely,

"Ah, it got annoying, but since you're Hermione's, I couldn't do anything about that. Now your father…not biting him was harder to control." 

The two shared a laugh, and…Jacob began to follow him. Crookshanks smiled his crooked smile and trotted off, seemingly walking through the door. 

Jacob reached the door, and put his hand out for the handle. He…didn't grip it though, he felt like he shouldn't. 

"Jacob…" He heard Crookshanks voice call. Jacob looked straight ahead, and now, he could see through the door. He saw Hogwarts, and he saw the Quidditch field, and the stands were full of people. The game had started…who had replaced him? 

"Jacob…" Crookshanks called again, but it seemed closer, deeper, and much louder.

He had to decide whether to open the door or not. He didn't want to see someone else playing Keeper in _his_ last game. Finally, he decided not to open the door, he didn't want to have to witness the game if he wasn't in it. 

  
Jacob backed away from the door, and he tripped on something, falling back…

But he didn't hit the ground, he continued to fall, he felt his body being pulled further and further away from the white door, and suddenly, it all stopped.


	17. Questions

_Hey there folks…well, I've gotten a couple of reviews stating that they get the family and people confused…so I made a mini website for y'all (since I have no life, j/k…) _

_Here it is: http://www.cristinacentral.com/weasleysthename.htm _

_Go take a visit, it's nice, lol. _

_Now, read read read! And review…please?_

Anthony slowly made his way to the Hospital Wing, Taylor still in his arms, and his mother and Soledad walking in front of him.

Soledad hadn't stopped crying into Hermione's shoulder, and his mother had a comforting arm around the young girl's shoulders. Anthony knew that his mother was crying too, and he was amazed at how calm she had remained. 

They reached the doors of the Hospital Wing, and Hermione pushed the door open, holding it long enough for Anthony to carefully bring Taylor in. 

Madame Pomfrey spotted them immediately and pointed Anthony to an empty bed while she ushered Soledad towards another one nearby. 

Making his way through some curtains and past some tables, Anthony was finally able to put Taylor down. She seemed at peace, her hair loose around her head, and her eyes shut softly. 

_She's beautiful_. He thought, and he smiled for the first time in an hour. Anthony sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, continuing to stare at Taylor. Her hand was inches away from his, and cautiously, as if not to wake her up, he took her small fingers and intertwined them with his. 

He absolutely wanted to murder Malfoy for hurting her, for touching her, for…for just _looking _at her. The anger inside him had been boiling and if the coward hadn't used Taylor as a shield…Anthony had no idea what kind of damage he would have done. 

Anthony watched as Taylor squirmed slightly, and her eyes fluttered open. He smiled softly at her, and watched as her eyes locked onto his.

"Hi there." She whispered, shrugging her shoulders. Anthony couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice. He reached towards her face and brushed some loose hair off of her cheek. 

"Hi." He said, just as soft. Taylor smiled again, this time, letting it reach her eyes. Anthony shifted his body so that he was closer to her, and he let go of her hand, letting his arm wrap around her side. 

"You saved me, again." She said, closing her eyes and pushing herself to sit up. Anthony immediately used his arm to support her, giving him another reason to get closer to her. 

"Not really, Soledad is the one who stunned him." Anthony explained, his voice extremely quiet. Taylor wrinkled her nose, and shook her head, although she winced at the motion. Instantly, Anthony's hand was at the bruise on her temple, barely touching it.

"Nothing a quick potion can't fix." She muttered. "Anyway, you got there just in time…it had all gone black…" Taylor forced a smile as tears brimmed her eyes.

Anthony moved his hand to her back, and pulled her towards him. Taylor didn't hesitate to move closer, and she fell into his arms, breathing into his shoulder.

"I don't know how I can repay you, Anthony," She mumbled. "You've saved my life in so many ways you couldn't possible understand…" 

There was a soft rustle, and Anthony turned around fast enough to see his mother's bushy brown hair disappear from a crack in the curtain. He smiled, and turned his attention back to Taylor.

Wrapping both arms around her, Anthony rocked her slowly. 

"I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do with myself if something had happened to you…I was so angry at him…I think, I think I could've really done something horrible." He said, growing angry just at the thought. 

Taylor looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Don't talk like that, please. I saw your eyes, Anthony…you…you scared me." She whispered, her lip twitching. Anthony's anger immediately floated out of his body, and he pulled her even closer than before.

"I'm sorry, I won't act like that ever again." He felt her nod against his chest, and he released a heavy breath. 

They sat together for a long time, not saying a word, but feeling at ease in each other's arms. Then, Anthony got a brilliant idea. Well, maybe it was stupid, _but_…

He let one arm fall away from Taylor, and he reached into his pocket, fingering for a very small and round object. Taylor's head was still buried in his shoulder, but she watched as he pulled out his hand, clenched in a fist. 

"What do you have there?" She asked, reaching for his hand. Anthony smiled at her childlike curiosity.

"Oh, something Peeves helped me find." He said nonchalantly. Taylor looked up at him, questioning eyebrows raised. 

Anthony just smiled, and shifted off the bed, letting Taylor sit on the edge by herself. She was a little anxious to be out of his hold, but he took her left hand in his (the one that wasn't clenched). 

"Where are you going?" She asked fearfully. Anthony shook his head,

"No where." He said as he bent down onto one knee. Taylor stared at him with utter confusion, but a silly grin slid onto her face.

"You wouldn't dare…" She whispered happily, squeezing his hand. The two shared a laugh, and Anthony took a deep breath. 

"I don't think I have to make a long speech on how much I love you, because, I don't think I could truly put how I feel in words. I thank whatever is looking down on us that I ran into you that day in the pet store, because, as it turns out, it was the best day of my life…I met my true love." 

He lifted his fist up to her, and opened his hand slowly. The golden ring from the helmet sat in the middle of it, gleaming in the dim light of the Hospital Wing. Taylor gasped and began to cry silent tears. Anthony stood up immediately to calm her, but she put her hand out,

"Aren't you going to ask me?" She giggled, even though tears still streamed down her cheeks. Anthony's grin grew even wider and he nodded,

"Will you marry me, Taylor Parkinson?" He slid the ring on her left ring finger, and watched as she stared at it in amazement. Taylor looked back up at him, and threw her arms around his neck, almost knocking him off balance. Her lips found his instantly, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground. 

They stood there, Taylor's feet dangling a good foot off the ground, their lips connected in a single, very long and sensual kiss. When they parted, they smiled silly grins at each other, batting their noses together.

"So? Are you going to answer me?" He whispered seductively. Taylor pursed her lips, and Anthony quickly tapped a few more kisses on them. She smiled brightly,

"I'll think about it." 

It was then that the door of the Hospital Wing slammed open, and Professor Potter screamed,

"We found him! Madame Pomfrey, come quickly!" 

"Alright, if you haven't noticed, our dear Captain and his…er…_friend _are not here right now." Brian Weasley stated, his voice monotone. "We have as replacements, two fellows that have been practicing with us, as reserves. My dear cousin, Ronald Potter ("_Ronny_!") and a close family friend, Orion Black. You have all played a few times with them, and I'm sure they will succeed in taking over the positions of our missing teammates." Brian stood up, and stared at the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "Any questions?" 

Cassie Black raised her hand quickly, her eyes narrowed. Brian sighed,

"Yes, Cassie?" 

"What is _she _doing here?" She spat, pointing to the girl that was being held by Brian. Sarah Lee sighed and tapped her foot. Her wrist was tightly held by Brian's strong hand, and by the look on her face, she was rather annoyed.

"I don't _want _to be here, but your _darling _Co-Captain seems to think that I'd go and tell Daniel about your replacements! I would _never _do that, that's so dishonest and mean."

The Gryffindor team stared oddly at the two, because Brian was now blushing furiously and looking down at the petite Ravenclaw. 

"Really? You _weren't_ going to tell Daniel?" He asked softly. Sarah's face flushed red and she peeked up at him. 

"Er…no, I wasn't. I would've felt _horribly _guilty if you guys had lost because of that. I was trying to walk away because I didn't want to know what was going on…so I wouldn't be…_betraying _Ravenclaw, I guess." She answered meekly, not daring to look any of the Gryffindors in the eyes. 

Lilly Potter and Bridget Hagrid giggled in the background while Andrew Jordan raised some suggestive eyebrows at Brian. Cassie just glowered at the two. 

"Oh." was all Brian could say. A small smile slid on his face, and Sarah looked up at him, and smiled as well. 

"Could we get out to the pitch?" Cassie growled angrily, brushing by the Head Girl and the Co-Captain. Brian didn't even seem to notice that she had stormed out. Lilly and Bridget giggled again, and followed their annoyed friend. Andrew sent Brian another 'look' and ushered Ronny and Orion out of the locker room. 

"I'm sorry I suspected you." Brian apologized, darting his eyes to the ground. Sarah smiled softly, and clicked her heels together.

  
"It's alright. I would've suspected you too." They shared a laughed, and as they did, Brian slowly released her wrist, and found her hand. They both immediately intertwined their fingers.

"I'm sorry I kissed you." He said softly, bringing his gaze up to look into her eyes. He was surprised to see that Sarah was staring at him already. 

"It's okay." She whispered. 

She then pushed herself up on her tiptoes, and Brian leaned his head closer to hers, and the two seemed to be daring the other to make the first move. As they were about to touch, the door of the locker room shot open, and the two jumped apart.

Madame Hooch was at the door, followed by the Gryffindor team.

  
"What do you _mean _the game is cancelled?" Lilly said in a shrilly voice. "It _can't _be cancelled!"

Brian's eyes widened and he approached Madame Hooch.

"What's going on? What happened?" He asked quickly. Madame Hooch's golden hawk eyes saddened as she looked at Brian. Something tugged at his heart, but the Co-captain had no idea what it could be. 

"There's been an accident." The referee said quietly, looking from Brian to Lilly and Ronny. 

The people in the room fell silent, and the only sounds that could be heard were the booing of the crowd that was dispersing back into the school. 

"What happened?" Brian asked, feeling the need to take charge as the only Captain. Madame Hooch squirmed a bit, but took a deep breath. 

"Mr. Weasley and Miss. Diego…I don't have many details…but they're in the Hospital Wing."

Brian clenched his fists, and started towards the door.

"Come on, team." He shouted over his shoulder.

Taylor felt herself be lowered to the ground, but Anthony's grip around her waist did not falter. She kept her arms around his neck and listened closely to the noise that was being made outside the curtains. 

There was a mad shuffling of feet towards where Professor Potter's voice had called, and the two heard the strangled cry of Hermione. Soledad's constant sobs became louder and more distressed, and a new voice was heard,

"Just in time, here, let me see." Professor Dumbledore said quietly. 

"Please, Headmaster, I think I have this under control, I _have _been here for more than twice Professor Potter's age!" The nurse huffed. 

"Poppy, _please_, this boy's life is at stake. Go…go give Miss. Diego a Sleeping Potion." 

Anthony squeezed Taylor tightly, and she led him slowly to the bed, and sat him down. She kept her arms around his neck as she stood between his legs, his head on her right shoulder. He was shaking, but Taylor knew that he was listening carefully to the events that were happening only a few feet away. 

"What happened to him, what happened, what happened?" Hermione asked frantically, her voice becoming higher and more distraught. 

"Hermione, please, be quiet…" Professor Potter's voice tried to soothe the frantic woman. "Come here, come on." 

By the sound of Hermione's muffled cries, Taylor assumed that Professor Potter had taken her in his arms. The blonde wondered how bad Jacob looked, but she didn't dare leave Anthony's side. She rubbed a reassuring hand up and down his back, and his trembling seemed to soften. She heard the door open, and then shut quietly.

A low whistle was made, it sounded like a flute, but almost as if it was calling something. 

Taylor lifted her head and strained her ears. Professor Potter must have taken Hermione outside, and Soledad must have fallen asleep from the Sleeping Potion. The only sounds she could hear were Madame Pomfrey's pacing steps, and…raspy, strained breathing. 

She slowly, as if not to cause any alarm, slid her hands from around Anthony's neck, to his ears, covering them. There was absolutely no reason for him to hear his brother's failing breaths. 

"I feel…" Anthony whispered, not looking up at Taylor. The blonde bent down slightly, trying to look him in the eyes. His red hair fell in front of his face, and he took a deep breath. "I feel like…I should go see him." 

"Oh…" Taylor said softly, letting her gaze fall on the curtain behind them, where she knew Jacob lay. "Are you sure, love?" 

Anthony looked up at her, his eyes determined. She took that as a 'yes' and kissed his forehead.

"Come along then, come on." Her hands left his face and into his hands. "Come on." 

He slowly stood up with her, and Taylor led him past the curtains, and she spotted Dumbledore standing at the edge of a bed. Jacob's cleat covered feet was all she could see at her position. Madame Pomfrey stood timidly on the side of the bed. Anthony stayed behind her as Dumbledore looked up and caught their eyes. 

"Help will be along shortly." The wise wizard said softly, noticing the anxiety in their eyes. Taylor nodded, but remained rooted to her spot. She didn't want to see Jacob, there was absolutely no way that she could look at him…what had Richard done?

"How is he?" Anthony choked out, brushing softly past Taylor, and taking stand next to Dumbledore. She watched as all color left his face, his eyes focused on the body that lay before him. 

His eyes blinked furiously, and he bit his tongue in order to keep his inevitable sob from escaping. Anthony crossed his arms, and his eyes darted towards Taylor, and then quickly towards the ceiling. 

Without thinking, Taylor ran towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and began to cry. His knees buckled and he released the tears he had been holding. Slowly, so not to hurt each other, the two fell to their knees, Taylor holding Anthony's head in the crick of her neck, her eyes shut tightly. 

Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey did not say anything to the two, but shifted to the right side of the bed, staring at the sight of the teens. 

Anthony's glasses slid off of his nose, and knocked into Taylor's shoulder before they fell to the floor. He didn't reach to pick them up, but he opened his eyes and tried to look at the woman that was holding him. 

Her eyes were surrounded by red, and they shimmered with tears. Her pointy nose was sniffling, and she reached up to wipe her eyes. The blonde locks of her hair were scattered all over her face, frizzy strands standing up in different directions. She looked _beautiful _to the red head.

"Don't let me go." He murmured into her ear, pulling her as close as possible. He heard her sigh softly, and she turned her face to kiss the area under his ear. She didn't have to answer him; he knew what she wanted to say. 

The door behind them swung open, and it seemed to be a flash of red and gold light that had opened it. Anthony looked up, through blurry eyes, and saw what was going to save his brother, Fawkes, the Phoenix. 

Fawkes flew with incredible grace, and it landed daintily on Dumbledore's outstretched arm. Its long tail fell smoothly to the floor, and its crown of feathers radiated brilliantly in the afternoon light of the Hospital Wing.

Professor Potter and Hermione had rushed in behind Fawkes, and now they stood on the other side of the bed, Hermione gripping Jacob's limp hand. 

Anthony and Taylor stood up and wiped their eyes so they could witness the event. Anthony's eyes were locked on Fawkes, but Taylor's had drifted to the motionless body that was her friend. Anthony muttered _Accio Eyeglasses_ and placed his spectacles on his face.

Jacob's hair was plastered to his forehead; his curls had gone straight. His eyes were shut, and he seemed to be asleep, his mouth slacked open. The usually rosy cheeks of the Gryffindor Captain were now a ghostly white. She watched as his chest rose up slowly under his Quidditch jersey; his _blood soaked_ Quidditch jersey. 

Dumbledore slowly moved his arm over Jacob's left shoulder, leaning on Madame Pomfrey for support. Professor Potter gripped Hermione's free arm, as his face began to gain some color; he remembered the many times Fawkes had saved his life. Hermione let go of Jacob's hand and muttered some charms with her wand, to rip the jersey off of her son.

Everyone in the room turned their head at the sight of Jacob's injury. There seemed to be a hole that ripped open some muscle, not on his shoulder exactly, but right above where his heart was. Anthony knew immediately this was the reason his shoulder throbbed. 

The Phoenix tilted its head slightly, and pearly white droplets fell from his eyes, splashing softly on Jacob's torn skin. 

Taylor covered her mouth in anticipation, while Anthony promptly pulled her to his side. The room was silent, except for the raspy breathing of Jacob. Fawkes leaned back and turned its head to Dumbledore, as if to tell him he was finished. 

Slowly, because of the fear of seeing the injury, everyone in the room turned back to look at Jacob. 

"Oh, sweet heart!" Hermione squealed, tears flowing out of her eyes. Jacob's shoulder was completely healed, although dried up blood still remained on his chest. His eyes were shut softly, but his mouth had closed, and his cheeks were tinted pink. 

Anthony sucked in a deep breath of excitement, and leaned onto the edge of the bed forcefully, making it shake. His eyes glistened with tears of joy as his twin's eyes began to stir under their eyelids. 

The baby blue eyes of Jacob Weasley fluttered open, darting around to stare at the people that surrounded him. 

They all held their breath, still not fully believing that the boy who was just lying there near death was now staring up at them, eyes wide with curiosity. 

"Did the game start?" He croaked, looking at Dumbledore. Anthony and Hermione groaned while the rest laughed softly. Professor Potter shook his head, crossing his arms.

"No, I caught Madame Hooch before she was heading out to the field, told her to cancel the match!" He exclaimed, with a grim smile. 

Jacob's eyes grew ten times their normal size. He quickly pushed himself up, only to grimace greatly as he put weight on his left shoulder. Hermione immediately put her hand behind his back.

"Take it easy, Jacob." Hermione whispered, gently pushing him back down. Jacob shook his head, but winced and lightly touched his shoulder with his right hand. 

"Oy, I was _so_ stupid, I knew I shouldn't have cancelled practice…" His face grew red with anger as he stared down at his ripped Quidditch jersey. "Bloody hell…" 

Anthony's stomach grew heavy as he remembered the events of earlier that morning. He had helped Lilly convince Jacob to cancel practice…Anthony put his hand to his head, covering his eyes. He didn't want to mention this and cause more drama. 

"Where's Solely?" Jacob asked suddenly, sitting up quickly and throwing his legs off the bed. "I sent her back with him! Where is she?" Professor Potter immediately pushed Jacob back, but the Gryffindor Quidditch Keeper did not want to sit still. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Diego is under a bit of Sleeping Potion, she was hysterical earlier." Dumbledore explained, running a single finger down one of Fawkes' wing feathers. 

Jacob looked up at the Headmaster, concerned. 

"Why, what, what happened?" He asked, his voice terribly soft. Hermione helped him lie back down, and she pulled the covers carefully over his body. Jacob kept his eyes locked on Dumbledore's as he slipped back into a lying position. 

"She suffered some blows to the head," Madame Pomfrey explained, sliding past Dumbledore with a bottle of something pink, it smelled like strawberries. Jacob looked ready to jump out of the bed, but with one glare from the nurse, he remained on his back. 

"And she'll be okay?" He asked weakly, and a pang of pain hit Anthony in his heart. He had never heard his brother talk in such a voice. It reminded him of his earlier conversation with Taylor. Madame Pomfrey smiled grimly. 

"She'll be fine, Mr. Weasley, here, now take this. But before you do, I have to explain some things to you." She said sweetly, in a tone that caused Professor Potter and Hermione to share a confused glance. Madame Pomfrey looked up at Hermione, deciding to tell her patient's mother the situation. All eyes were on the elderly nurse. 

"Jacob was shot by a Muggle device called a 'gun'. The object of a gun is to shoot a little lead bullet and injure their target. That bullet is still inside Jacob's shoulder. Fawkes simply healed all the wounds, but he could not remove the bullet. I will be performing some charms and…oh." She ended softly, looking down at Jacob.

Everyone's gaze followed hers, and they realized that Jacob had already taken the Sleeping Potion; he was sleeping as if he had absolutely no worries. 


	18. A Warm Embrace

Visit the site (just something I threw together!) 

http://www.cristinacentral.com/weasleysthename.htm

Now…enjoy!

Soledad Diego woke to the sounds of Madame Pomfrey screaming. She stirred in her bed, and rubbed her eyes, trying to understand what the old nurse was saying.

"No, _listen to me_! I have dealt with you Weasleys for more than _three_ generations! _Every_ **_single_**one of them has been under my care at least one point during their time at Hogwarts, and I will _not _let you be the first to persuade my decision otherwise! This is the _fifth _time you _Quidditch _players try to sneak in here, but let me tell you _one thing_! If _any _of you come in here, you will _never _be able to ride a broomstick _AGAIN!_" She shrieked.

"But _Madame Pomfrey!_" Soledad heard Brian whine. "Just _one _minute? _Please_?" 

"_NO_!" And with that, a door was shut. The curly haired girl listened as Madame Pomfrey huffed away, storming across the Hospital Wing and slamming the door to her office shut. ("Just like his father!") 

Soledad looked down at herself, and realized she was in a pair of light purple pajamas she owned. How long had she been here? When she had woken up, her entire mind was a blur, but now that she was more awake, memories began to flood her mind. 

"Jake." She muttered shakily, slipping out of bed. The Shrieking Shack, Malfoy, Jacob, _hurt_. Thoughts raced through her mind and she pushed her fists to her eyes, only to throw them down to her side again.

After peeking out of the curtains to make sure the nurse was out of sight, Soledad headed towards the only section of closed curtains. 

Before entering the curtains, she listened for some indication that someone was behind them. She heard the mumbling of a very familiar voice, and with that, she tugged at the curtains. 

Jacob turned quickly to stare at who was entering his area, and smiled as brightly as he could as Soledad's face appeared. 

The Gryffindor Chaser blushed at the appearance of her boyfriend. He sat with his long legs dangling off the bed, his light blue pajama pants on. His chest was bare, except for the patch of bandages that covered the area of around his left shoulder. Soledad could not contain herself from admiring Jacob's very chiseled chest, stomach, and arms. She thanked Merlin for making Quidditch such an athletic and demanding sport. 

"Jake." She croaked, coming into the curtains and then pulling the shut quickly. A smile formed on her face, and tears leapt to her eyes as her shoulders shook. "_Jake_." She whispered again, clasping her hands together and putting them to her mouth. 

He jumped off the bed and with one two steps he had her in his arms, her face buried into the chest she was just admiring. Tears flowed freely from her eyes now, and she wrapped her arms around his stomach, pulling him extremely close.

Somehow, in the midst of the intense hug, Soledad's lips had found Jacob's, and now the two were kissing feverishly, as if they were never going to see each other again.

He pulled her back, and sat down on the bed, his mouth still very connected to hers. Soledad's hands moved from behind his back to his chest, while Jacob's left her shoulders and cupped her face. Guiding her hands up his chest, she softly touched the bandaged area, knowing that he had truly gone through immense pain.

"_Ay…_" She mumbled, and somehow keeping the kiss going. The patch of bandages was warm, and Soledad thought for a split second that they must've been more of a comforting pad than bandages. She pulled her mouth a few centimeters away from Jacob's. "Does it hurt?" 

Jacob stared into her eyes with a look that showed he wasn't sure of what to tell her. Her fingers trailed along the pad, and he looked down at her small, delicate hands.

"It's sore." Jacob muttered, letting his hands fall from her face to her shoulders. "But I'll be fine." He added, noticing the worry in her face. Soledad continued her pout as fresh tears sprung to her eyes. "No…don't cry." He said soothingly, wiping at her tears.

"_Usted es la única razón que despierto por la mañana, yo era así que asustado iba a perderle_." She sniffled, darting her eyes away from him. Jacob raised a questioning eyebrow.

"English, please?" He asked jokingly. Soledad chuckled softly and Jacob slid his arms around her waist to pull her closer. She stared at her fingernails, which shimmered red and gold ("Gryffindor Pride!").

"I said…you're the only reason I get up in the morning…I was so scared I was going to lose you." She barely whispered, now realizing the intensity of her words. It had been so easy for her to say in Spanish, when Jacob couldn't understand her.

Her hazel eyes met Jacob's light blue ones, and she was taken aback by the emotion that was pouring out of him. His eyes never drifted from hers, and he bit his tongue as if he was thinking of something. 

Soledad looked away, blushing because of the way he was staring at her. Maybe she shouldn't have said that, maybe she should've just said she was worried about him. _Ay_, he was probably freaked out by the way she was so abrupt with him. They weren't _that_ serious, they hadn't been _truly_ dating for more than a day. 

She was startled by Jacob's warm lips on her cheek, and she turned her head slightly, to stare at him in amazement. He was close, so close that she could tell he had taken the same strawberry Sleeping Potion she had. 

"Jake…" She began, but he stopped her as he gently pressed his lips to hers. Soledad pressed her right hand to the patch on his shoulder, letting the warmth of it soak into her body. Jacob spread his hands wide on her back, as if to touch as much of her back as he could without his hands leaving their positions. He stood up with her in his arms, their lips still kissing, and drew her so close to him that Soledad could feel the heat dissipating out of his body. 

Jacob broke the kiss, but only moving his lips centimeters from Soledad's. Their eyes bored into each other's, and the girl in his arms seemed to be aching for his lips to return to hers. He gave her a soft kiss, but opened his mouth for a completely different reason,

"I love you, Soledad." He breathed onto her, his eyes never faltering. She felt her knees shake and was thankful for the tight grip he held her in. A smile slid onto his face at her shocked expression. He leaned forward so the tips of their noses could touch, and electricity shot throughout their bodies, chills racing through their veins.

Soledad could not find her voice; she just stared up at Jacob as if he had done something incredulous. She could absolutely _not_ believe that she was being held by the boy…the _man _that had completely consumed her mind for the past seven years of her life, and to have him actually proclaim his love _for her_ was downright impossible…she must be dreaming, damn that Sleeping Potion! 

Jacob's face took on an expression of concern. He pulled his nose away from hers and tilted his head, as if to get a full view of her. 

"Solely?" He whispered, sounding a bit scared. "Do…do you want me to take it back? Be-because I will, if you're not…not ready." 

She opened her mouth to say something, but again, her voice failed her. With a simple shake of the head, Jacob knew her answer, and he smiled, kissing her lips again.

It was four more days before Madame Pomfrey allowed Jacob to leave the Hospital Wing, two before he was allowed visitors. He received many 'Get Well' cards from various admirers ("I'll take care of these…" Soledad said as she glared at one that had a picture of the girl blowing kisses.), and his mother rarely left his side, making him very irritated with her wariness. 

Jacob and Soledad slowly walked arm in arm to Gryffindor Tower, ready to just collapse on the familiar red and gold couches. The common room was presumably empty, because it was dinnertime in the Great Hall. The time alone would be well spent by the two. 

"_Hello _dears!" The Fat Lady and her friend Violet cooed. The two waved like little schoolgirls at Jacob, who blushed slightly. 

"Good afternoon ladies." He said in a very formal voice, bowing towards the portrait. Soledad rolled her eyes as the Fat Lady and Violet giggled. 

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked kindly. 

"_Weasley Wizard Wheezes." _Soledad said in a monotone voice, pulling Jacob roughly through the door, just as the two women in the portrait waved sheepishly at him again.

"What adoring fans…" He said lovingly, enjoying the jealousy Soledad was expressing. 

She turned on him, ready to rant, when she saw an amazing sight.

"_Welcome back_!" At least twenty Gryffindors screamed. Soledad stared in shock and Jacob past her, his arms up in confusion. 

"What is all this?" He asked excitedly. Anthony stepped towards him, and conjured a piece of cake on a plate into his hands. 

"Everyone thought it would be a nice surprise, after being stuck in the Hospital Wing for five days." He smiled brightly, handing the cake to Jacob. "It's time for some fun and relaxation, especially with only two more days until Graduation." 

In the far left corner of the room, Cassie Black jumped on the table, a firecracker in hand and a wild party hat on top of her head.

"Let's party!" She screamed, setting off the firecracker that raced around the room, shooting off sparks of red and gold, making noise as it did.

Sorry this chapter is so short, I just wanted to get _something _out! Hehe, I have the rest planned already, so no worries!


	19. PreGraduation Jitters

Visit the website! It's nice w/ pictures now! (Thanks Jillian!!!) 

http://www.cristinacentral.com/weasleysthename.htm

On the last day of class, the Seventh Years took it upon themselves to…er…_miss _all of their classes. It was common tradition for the Seventh Year students of Hogwarts, and most of the teachers did not mind their absence (it was another free period for them). Anthony and Sarah, though, _insisted _that the Seventh Years attend their final class ("Who _knows _what we could be missing!"), but were dragged out of the school anyway by their housemates (and with some persuasion from Taylor and Brian respectively). 

So now, this year's graduating class of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was strewn across the Quidditch pitch, just lounging and enjoying their last day as students. 

Anthony sat on one of the Quidditch benches, craning his neck back to watch the makeshift Quidditch game that was going on. Jacob, even with the protests of Madame Pomfrey and Soledad, had taken back his position as Keeper, and was swatting away Quaffles as if they were flies. 

The sun bore down on the students, and Anthony had to squint his eyes tightly just to catch glimpses of the Quidditch players. Taylor was even taking part in the game, and was trying desperately to score on Jacob (who was being swarmed by more than five other students). 

"He's a bit of an idiot, _sí_?" Soledad asked Anthony, taking a seat next to him on the bench. Anthony smirked and nodded, blocking the sun with his hand.

"Mum's going to murder him when she hears about this." He muttered sighing and letting his gaze drop to Soledad. Her eyes were locked onto the figures soaring high above them.

Anthony was very happy that Jacob had started dating Soledad; she was his calming factor. His brother's temper had dramatically changed since the two began to go 'steady'. 

Because she was so quiet and composed, Jacob had to adjust, and it was quite a task; Anthony hadn't thought his brother would be able to do it. Jacob's grades had increased immensely, having him gain the sixth most N.E.W.T.S. in their year. 

Though, Jacob had changed Soledad as well. Anthony believed that she would _never _have tried out for the Quidditch team if it weren't for his support of her. It turned out that Soledad was actually very good, leading Gryffindor to very high scoring games numerous times. Anthony even had to take house points away from her one time, because she hexed a Slytherin girl who had commented about her accent, a girl that previously had made Soledad tremble. 

All in all, the pair cancelled each other out, making them very compatible. 0

"_Estúpido__._" Soledad mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Anthony chuckled and leaned back on the bench. 

"Why aren't you up there?" He asked, stretching out his legs. Soledad shrugged and leaned back. She tapped her head with her fist,

"Suffered a bit of a concussion, I'm not allowed to fly for a while." 

Anthony grimaced at the thought of a concussion, though he knew he had had one before. 

"Ouch." He said simply, not really knowing what else to say. His mother had filled him in with the events that Soledad had revealed to her, how she had physically fought Richard under the Invisibility Cloak, and then was knocked out by his blows.

"Haven't been able to sleep, either." She looked at him and bit her lip. Anthony had never had a full conversation with her, but now that she seemed to be starting one, he was suddenly nervous.

"Er…because it hurts?" He asked, feeling rather stupid that he did. Soledad shrugged slightly, but shook her head.

"That's part of it. I've been having…er…_pesadillas_…er…how do you say it…bad dreams?" She explained. Anthony's eyes widened a bit behind his wire rim glasses, but he nodded slightly.

"Nightmares." He said softly. Soledad's eyes brightened and then darkened with remarkable speed.

"Yes, nightmares." The two sat in silence for a few moments, not noticing when Brian Weasley ran by them at full speed, closely chased by a furious Sarah Lee ("GIVE ME BACK MY BADGE!").

"Have you told Jacob?" Anthony asked, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them. Soledad sighed and crossed her arms, darting her eyes towards their flying friends.

  
"I don't want him to worry, they're about him…I don't want him to feel guilty." 

"I think Taylor heard one of mine, the other night." Anthony blushed as he realized what he had just said; he hoped that Soledad didn't get the wrong ideas. But she just nodded slightly, looking a bit scared,

"You _still _get them?" She asked, her voice eerily soft. He nodded, biting his tongue. 

"I mean, I don't get them as often as I used to, I haven't had to go down to the Hospital Wing in a _long _time." Immediately, he knew he had spoken the wrong words. Soledad's eyes filled with tears, and they almost instantly started flowing. She sobbed into her hands, mumbling in Spanish. 

Anthony looked around nervously, never actually comforting someone other than Taylor. He looked up towards the Quidditch game, which was still at full throttle. Taking a deep breath, he scooted towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Oy, Soledad, just think of it this way, they're just _dreams _not real, they can't hurt you." He said in a soothing voice. 

"But what I see _is _real! It happened! I keep seeing it over and over!" She cried, burying her face into his shoulder. Anthony closed his eyes, knowing _exactly _how she was feeling. 

"Maybe, maybe if you talked to someone about it, it would help?" He offered.

"I couldn't get through it once with _tú mama _without blubbering like an idiot_._"

Anthony continued to bite his tongue, thinking of other methods to help out his friend.

"Er…you can talk to _me, _if you want…since I've been there…" He looked down at her, to see that she was staring up at him, her eyes shining with tears.

"Really? You'd…you'd do that?" She asked, trembling a bit. Anthony smiled genuinely and gave her an assuring squeeze. 

"Sure, that's what friends are for." 

"Yes…er…_friends._" Soledad blushed a bit, and Anthony immediately slipped his arm away from her shoulders; he hoped that he didn't look _too _comfortable with her. Jacob would kill him, let alone Taylor. Though, he noticed that she had buried her hands into her pockets, instead of reacting any other way.

The two felt a shadow fall upon them, and looked up in surprise. Jacob and Taylor floated about five feet over them, both with looks of worry. 

"Everything all right here?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms and looking at Soledad carefully. The curly haired girl nodded quickly, wiping at her eyes with hands that were covered by her long sleeved shirt.

"Just a little graduation jitters." Anthony lied, though he smiled brightly at his brother and girlfriend. 

"_Si_, we were just thinking how this is the last time we'll be on this pitch." Soledad added, sending a weak smile towards Jacob. At her smile, Jacob's stare softened, and he floated down to the ground, his feet just hovering inches from the blades of grass. 

"We'll have to come and see our kids play, won't we?" He said softly to her, reaching for her hand. Anthony watched as Soledad's face burned red. 

"What…what happened about New York?" She asked softly, as if _that _was what was so amazing about Jacob's comment. Anthony looked up at Taylor, to see that she was staring at the couple with a very curious look. 

He stood up and reached for her, and Taylor turned to him quickly, smiling. She slid off her broom into his arms and he lifted her to the ground, his hands still resting on her waist. 

"Come on, love." She said softly, taking her hand in his. "Let's go for a walk." 

When they reached the end of the Quidditch pitch, Anthony and Taylor made their way down to Hogwarts Lake, walking slowly and taking in the serenity of the fields.

"Something's up with those two." Taylor said suddenly, but not taking her eyes off of the lake. "Jacob was acting all funny while we were playing."

Anthony noticed that Taylor didn't seem tired or sweaty at all, but he let her continue.

"He was calling Soledad 'the missus,' like she was his wife or something. I have never seen him smile like that, every time he brought her up, I thought I was going to be blinded by the glare that was bouncing off of his teeth." She smirked, but Anthony just laughed as they stopped by the edge of the lake.

"He's in _love_, he's _allowed _to act like an idiot." Anthony said, wrapping both arms around her waist, then looking down at her in an admiring fashion. 

She seemed a little miffed by the situation; her light blue eyes glistened as she stared back at the Quidditch pitch. Her silvery blonde hair was tied up in a very unruly bun, and her light pink lips pursed on her pale face. 

"Hmph. I wish Soledad would tell me what was going on. She's my best friend!" 

Which was true. After the dance in fourth year, Jacob had insisted on letting Soledad join the trio (and Brian, though Brian usually hung out more with James) in their daily events, and Taylor had seemed much more relieved to have a girl around. They often giggled at the boys; then sending them looks like 'Don't ask because we won't tell.' It frustrated the twins endlessly. 

"Just like you haven't told her about us?" Anthony asked slyly, bending down and kissing her forehead. Taylor looked back up at him, her eyes shining. He knew it had been hard for her to keep the engagement a secret, but he trusted that she hadn't told anyone like she promised.

"What if they're doing the same thing?" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "That would be _wonderful_!" 

Anthony rolled his eyes and let go of her to sit down on the grass. Taylor was a bit too enthusiastic about _everything _for him 

"Maybe, but right now I want to sit down on this grass, watch the final sunset of my stay at Hogwarts with my fiancée lying peacefully in my arms as we dream about our future together." He looked up at her, and he wasn't surprised to see her staring back down at him, smiling softly. 

"Idiot." She giggled, slowly dropping to her knees next to him. Anthony immediately wrapped both his arms around her, and the two sat, watching the water glisten, and sky change into its rainbow of colors. 

_Sorry this chapter is so short too, _but_ the next chapter is really really long because it's GRADUATION TIME!!! Ahhh, my babies are graduating! I cried, seriously, when I wrote it ::tears:: See you soon! And please review, if you don't, a kitty will die :( … just kidding, my brother dared me to say that._


	20. Graduation and Goodbye

Hey there, hi there, ho there. 

Um…lol, here is the graduation… ::tears:: but no worries, I have a good ten pages after this for you to enjoy :) 

Visit the website! http://www.cristinacentral.com/weasleysthename.htm

I have to upload the new pictures, lol. Send some if you want, or just drop me a review, what ever! I'm in like, a sh*tty mood because of something my boyfriend did yesterday…my twins seem to lift my spirits though! 

Okay, let me stop babbling!

The graduation was held in the front of the entrance to the school, and the area had been decorated fabulously with Hogwarts towering over it. Flowers lined the aisles and the chairs were cushioned with the colors of the four Houses. On the wall behind the platform where all the teachers and important people sat, the four flags of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff hung, floating in the wind. The aisle that the graduates were going to walk down had a carpet that changed to the color of the house of the group of students. Anthony and Sarah tried to keep their swelling pride inside, but the two slipped sometimes, telling the guests how it was "Nothing, really!" 

There were about forty students in the graduating class, and they were seated by house, then by name. Guests, who mainly consisted of family members and family friends, sat behind the students, who filed in to the sound of "Pachelbel's Canon" (the composer had actually attended Hogwarts himself).

Anthony and Sarah were already seated, having special seats on the stage in front of all the student and guests. Dumbledore was seated in the middle, with Professor McGonnagal on one side, and Professor Snape on the other. The Head Boy and Head Girl sat at the end of Professor McGonnagal's side of Dumbledore, each sending smiles to their fellow classmates. 

Jacob strode down the aisle looking absolutely triumphant, his head held high and his red and gold sash flowing over his black robes. His red curls had been slicked back, and he winked towards Emily, who was seated with Delaney on her lap next to her parents. Hermione was obviously crying, her face streaked with tears that had already fallen, and Ron was following Jacob with the wizard's version of a video camera. 

He saw other familiar faces, his Uncle Fred and his wife (Brian's parents); his cousin George (Brian's older brother), many other redheaded relatives, his Aunt Ginny was sitting next to his parents, his Weasley Grandparents, and his Muggle Grandparents. 

Sticking out like a sore thumb near the back of the guests were Ruebus Hagrid and his wife Olympe Maxine-Hagrid. Hagrid was blubbering into a very large napkin that could have been mistaken for one of Jacob's bed sheets.

Since there were ten students in the Gryffindor class, and Anthony was on stage, the graduating Gryffindors sat in one long row. Jacob was the last one seated, since Gryffindor had won the House Cup, and entered last (Even with the last Quidditch Match being cancelled, Gryffindor had come out on top, there was a rematch set for that afternoon, for the Quidditch Cup). 

He peered past Brian and his other classmates to where Soledad was sitting nervously at the end of their row. Her hair was loose around her head, the way Jacob liked it, and she had a constant blush on her face. She seemed to feel his gaze on her and she turned slightly, sending him a shy smile. Jacob grinned, and looked towards the platform, where Professor Dumbledore was speaking.

"Wizards, Witches, family, friends, and Hogwarts alumni, welcome to this years graduation ceremony of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." There was a huge round of applause, and Jacob could swear that he heard firecrackers going off…he suspected his Uncles Fred and George. 

Professor McGonnagal seemed to be eyeing the older set of twins as well. Jacob snickered as Dumbledore smiled softly.

"It's been a tradition, since Hogwarts was founded, that the Head Boy and Head Girl open the ceremony with the speeches they have written. I'd like to introduce Professor Flitwick, so he can do the honors."

Professor Flitwick hurried up to the platform, charming the stool that stood beside it to grow high enough for him to see over the platform. He stood proudly, looking over the sea of people and began, 

"This young woman has been such a pleasure to have in my house. She, on many occasions, has helped me with numerous projects, even performing charms that I still have difficultly with. It's been an absolute honor to be able to be the Head of her House, and I wish her, and all my other Ravenclaws (there was a burst of applause from that section) the best of luck in life, because I know that they are going to go very far. So, let me stop babbling! I would like to introduce, Sarah Lee, Ravenclaw, Head Girl!" 

Sarah stood up and blushed as the audience applauded, the Ravenclaws standing up and clapping the loudest. She made her way across the stage and Jacob turned to see that Brian was watching her with a goofy smile. She tossed her long black hair over her shoulders, pulled out her speech, and began,

"When I received my Hogwarts letter, I was scared. _Honestly_, I couldn't _believe_ that there were actually Witches and Wizards, let alone a _school _for them. I thought it was some mean joke, I thought it was just a silly dream. 

"But, it wasn't. When I first stepped foot into Diagon Alley, and I saw broomsticks for sale, and books jumping out of the bookshelves, I knew that it was all too real, that my dream was a reality." Her voice wavered as if she was going to start crying. 

"Boarding the Hogwarts Express was hard, I stood between Platforms nine and ten for a good thirty minutes before a Wizard Conductor came out and found me. The train ride was long and irritating, because I sat beside two girls who wouldn't stop talking, but who turned out to become my very best friends." She smiled towards twin girls in the Ravenclaw section, who waved excitedly. 

"As I listened to the Sorting Hat, I knew right from the start that I was meant to be a Ravenclaw, that my abilities would be put to the test there, that I would grow up to be the best Witch I could be. 

"The Hat told me that I would do well in some other houses, too, but he let me decide. I immediately whispered Ravenclaw, and I felt as if the Hat was smiling down at me. 

"I worked hard, sometimes so hard that my eyes would hurt and that I couldn't fall asleep. Becoming a prefect, then Head Girl was my goal, and, I'm proud to say that I accomplished both. I even came out of here with a few other surprises." She obviously flashed a grin towards Brian, who blushed furiously. 

"I know that you all have a story to tell, about your Hogwarts letter, about Diagon Alley, about the train ride, and the Sorting. I'm sure that many of you had much different goals than I did, but that's what makes us unique, but yet so the same. 

"I hope you accomplished your goals, and if you didn't, I hope you tried, I hope you tried with every bit of magic inside of you. 

"We, as graduates of Hogwarts are going to change the future, we're going to make this world a better place, and we're going look back at our time here, knowing that it was seven years well spent. Seven years that will _never_ be forgotten."

She stepped back from the podium, tears in her eyes as her audience applauded with great zest. Professor Flitwick jumped out of his seat and Sarah kneeled slightly to shake his hand, the little Wizard had tears streaming out of his eyes. 

When she reached her seat, she sent Anthony a reassuring smile, because his legs were shaking as he waited to be called. He sent an approving grin her way, and then watched as the Head of Gryffindor walked across the stage. 

Professor McGonnagal now stood at the podium, and she received some catcalls and whistles from the Gryffindor section (Professor Potter had to bite his knuckles from laughing). She eyed her Gryffindors with the 'glare' that they were all used to, but she let go a dismissive laugh and she rolled her eyes.

"I've seen many classes, and many different kinds of students. Each class stands out in their own way, but this one has something special…this class, this class is full of the children of those who helped defeat the Dark Lord." Her eyes glazed over. "This class of Gryffindors has amazing courage running through their veins, and the gentleman I am introducing is the bravest of them all."  
  


Anthony's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks flush. Sarah took his hand and squeezed it, and his fellow Gryffindors cheered loudly. Anthony watched as Taylor and Jacob jumped up, causing the rest of the Gryffindors to jump up as well. He wanted to run off stage, but that really wouldn't be showing the courage Professor McGonnagal was talking about, so he decided against it. 

"I've seen him grow from the little boy who would sneak into the Library at night just so he could add that extra five inches to an essay, to the man," She turned and looked at him. "Who would be willing to give his life for those he loves. I have been extremely lucky to watch him grow up, and I'm proud to say that he has definitely lived up to my expectations." Professor McGonnagal sent him a soft smile and looked back at the audience.

"Please, put your hands together for your Head Boy, Anthony Weasley, Gryffindor!" 

The audience erupted into an applause that Anthony had clearly not expected. He stayed glued to his seat, his hands gripping the part below him. Sarah had to shake his shoulders to snap him out of the trance he was in, and he stood up, his shoulders tense. He watched as all four houses applauded him, but his mind was so blank that he didn't even wonder why the Slytherins were clapping. With another push from Sarah, Anthony made his way towards the podium. 

Jacob, along with Brian, was laughing at his brother's shocked state. But, he made sure that his applause was the loudest, no matter how much his hands began to sting. He was extremely proud of his brother, and Jacob knew that Anthony deserved all this praise and more.

Professor McGonnagal smiled brightly as Anthony reached the podium, and she did something very uncharacteristic; she hugged him. Anthony stiffened for a second, but he relaxed and hugged her back. She patted his back, and the headed back towards her seat, wiping her eyes. For a brief moment, Anthony wondered whether she was thinking of his parents' graduation. 

Turning towards the audience seemed to be a bit of a challenge, but when he did, he was glad that he did. 

He immediately found the Gryffindor section, their red stood out from the rest of the colors, and he watched as Jacob sent him a huge thumbs up. Taylor was dabbing her eyes with the sleeve of her robes, staring at him with an amazingly loving look in her eyes. 

With a deep sigh, he began,

"I really wish I had gone first, because speaking after _that _speech," He shook his head as the audience laughed. "Is some feat." He took another breath, he felt like he couldn't trust his voice. He slowly unfolded his speech,

"It took me a long time to write this, because I really couldn't find the words that fit how I felt about leaving Hogwarts." He set the wrinkled paper on the podium and began,

"We have a lot of great memories here, on this front lawn, on the Quidditch Pitch, by the lake, in the Great Hall, and in the many nooks and corridors of Hogwarts. But I don't think any of them will outshine the day you leave here, for it will be one of the happiest and saddest days of your life. You will be leaving your childhood forever, but you will begin your life as a true Wizard or Witch, ready to make your mark on the world." His eyes shone and he rolled them so his tears of joy wouldn't fall.

"You might end up being a star Quidditch player, flying for your favorite childhood team and winning the World Cup for Britain." He winked at Jacob. "Or you could find a job at the Ministry, on the Committee on Experimental Charms. You could create a charm that could affect generations of Wizards and Witches. Maybe your name will go down in Hogwarts- A History, as one of their most famous alumni.

"But whatever you end up doing, remember one thing: you need to be happy doing it. There is no point to life if you don't have a reason to smile everyday. Make sure that you have something to cherish in your life, something that gives you a reason to wake up in the morning and want to live that day to the fullest." All the while his eyes were transfixed on Taylor's.

"I found an old Muggle quote that many people have probably never heard. Because my mother was Muggle-born, hi Mum," He waved sheepishly, causing the crowd to roar with laughter. Hermione immediately waved back animatedly, but Ron put her hand down. "I was brought up with the wonderful world of Disney. And, one of the people who worked for them, I couldn't find their name, said something absolutely amazing, and I would just like to recite it for you,

"'…Magic is as wide as a smile and as narrow as a wink, loud as laughter and quiet as a tear, tall as a tale and deep as emotion. So strong, it can lift the spirit. So gentle, it can touch the heart. It is the magic that begins the happily ever after.' Thank you for making the past seven years of my life truly amazing."

With that, he nodded his head, and strode back to his seat, the applause absolutely immense. 

There were numerous awards given out, many for outstanding work in the different subjects per house. Anthony received the awards for Defense Against the Darks Arts, and Arithmancy, and he held a plaque that held his name and Sarah's under the titles of Head Boy and Girl. Jacob received the Charms award, and a plaque for his position as Captain of the Quidditch team. Each of the other Gryffindors sat contently with their various awards, as Professor Dumbledore walked to the podium.

Brian leaned back into his seat and sighed. Jacob wanted to do the same, though he was quite content, having his two awards set nicely on his lap. Brian had only received the Gryffindor Transfiguration award and the certificate for participating on the Quidditch team, and was ready to get out of his dress robes and go to the Quidditch game. 

"These last four awards," Dumbledore said softly. "Are for a student from each House, who is the personification of their House's qualities."

Brian groaned softly and looked over to Anthony. The Head Boy and Girl now sat with their housemates in the seat left for them. 

"That's you, for sure." He whispered. Anthony rolled his eyes and shook his head, although his ears _did _turn a bit pink. Taylor, who sat on Anthony's other side, squeezed his hand for hundredth time that day. 

A Hufflepuff boy by the name of Aaron Finch-Fletchley won the Hufflepuff award, and a girl named Matilda Wolf won the Slytherin one. Sarah was then called up for the Ravenclaw award, and the three stood in line with their trophies (that were shaped as their House mascots), as Dumbledore began to read off the Gryffindor's speech.

"Gryffindors are most widely known for being brave and fool-hearty, jumping into situations without thinking. But, they are also characterized by leadership, and the winner of this award clearly showed that he could take control of a situation without hesitating at all. The award goes to," Dumbledore unrolled the small piece of parchment, and smiled softly, "Brian Weasley." 

The Gryffindors jumped up in surprise while Brian remained seated, staring at Dumbledore as if he had three heads. Jacob grabbed Brian's shoulders and lifted him up, whooping with glee, pounding him on the back. He let out a choked laugh, and then passed Jacob and walked up the aisle, looking up at the stage. Sarah smiled brightly at him, clapping her hands as furiously as she could while still holding her trophy. 

Brian made it up the side stairs, careful not to trip, and walked over to Dumbledore, completely numb with shock. The wise wizard smiled gently at him, and shook his hand, then handing him the trophy.

He took a spot next to Sarah, and the crowd applauded loudly. Brian could see his parents and brother in the back, jumping up and down, waving madly, and all he could do was send them a very large and excited grin. 

After the applause died down, it was time for the actual graduation ceremony to begin. The Hufflepuffs each received their diplomas first, and Anthony was a bit surprised at how it was performed. After all the Hufflepuffs had received their diplomas, they stood in a line and pointed their wands towards the sky. Professor Sprout then pointed her wand at the students. Then, large black and yellow sparks, shot out from their wands and the shield of Hufflepuff appeared above them. It was quite an amazing sight.

Slytherin was next, then Ravenclaw. Finally, the Gryffindors stood in line, ready to walk up the right side's set of stairs and onto the stage. Professor McGonnagal stood once again at the podium and she stared at her Gryffindors with the utmost pride. 

"Now, introducing, this year's graduating class of Gryffindors! When I call your name, please come on stage and receive your diploma." With the tap of her wand on the podium, a triangle of rolled up parchments appeared. 

"Soledad Diego!" She shouted, almost exactly like she had at their Sorting. 

Soledad took a deep breath and walked up the steps, the hollering of her housemates and other friends deafening. She scanned the crowd for her parents, and was happy when she saw them sitting rather close to the Weasleys. 

"Bridget Hagrid!" Bridget rushed onto the stage, her long brown braid floating into the breeze. Once she appeared, Hagrid broke down into tears, as Olympe patted him softly on the back.

"Andrew Jordan!" He strutted onto the stage, and posed in the middle because his father had run up to the stage with a wizard camera. 

"Joseph Longbottom!" Joseph seemed to be shaking as he made his way across. His parents and little brother screamed his name though, and he began to walk with more confidence.

"James Lupin!" The auburn haired boy released his breath and walked onto the stage, looking more relaxed than he had ever in his life. He had done it!

"Taylor Parkinson!" The blonde literally shimmered as she walked across the stage, her smile reaching her ears and her hair flowing behind her. She looked out into the audience to see that her mother was wiping at her eyes, waving one of her many tissues at her. 

"Anthony Weasley!" Anthony paced himself again, eager to make his final walk across the stage as smooth as the others had been. He took his diploma, and turned to the crowd, showing his parents and family that he actually had it in his hands.

"Brian Weasley!" Brian was absolutely ecstatic, and rushed across the stage, his excitement reaching its highest level. He shook Professor McGonnagal's hand furiously, and jumped up, punching the air. His ears were quite pink afterwards. 

"Jacob Weasley!" Jacob clapped his hands together and let out a laugh of happiness as he clambered up the stairs, reminding Professor McGonnagal of how he had rushed up to the Sorting Hat. When she gave him his diploma, he smiled softly, and said,

"Thank you." Then he joined the other Gryffindors in line. Professor McGonnagal had to bite her tongue to keep the tears from spilling. 

"Raise your wands." She said softly, and she raised hers along with her Gryffindors. Muttering a simple charm, she shot a small line of red light at the group, and their wands produced a large amount of scarlet and gold sparks, the Gryffindor seal roaring proudly above them. 

Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw with a score of 170-20. It had been very tough, seeing that the players had an extra week to train. But, Ravenclaw's seeker was no match to Lilly, and she snatched the Snitch before the other seeker could even blink. 

Now, the next night, James Lupin was hosting a graduation party at his large house. His parents had insisted that they stay with their friends, but they promised to stay in the lounge room, while the guests invaded the rest of the house.

The house wasn't really decorated for a party, just a table with snacks, and some music playing in the background. James looked around expectantly, trying to figure out if anything was missing.

"How many people are coming?" Rebecca asked, looking over the railing of the stairs. Lilly Potter and Cassie Black appeared behind her, because she had insisted not to stay up in her room by herself while the party was going on. 

James shrugged his shoulders, evaluating the condition of the living room. It was expected to look exactly the same afterwards.

"Pretty much the graduating class is invited, but I'm sure a lot of them have other plans." 

"Is Brian coming?" Cassie asked in a rather uncharacteristic voice. She sounded nervous and excited at the same time. The other three eyed her oddly, but James just nodded.

"Yeah, he should be, Sarah too." At that, Cassie scowled and stormed back up the stairs. Lilly rolled her eyes and bounced up the stairs after her.

The door leading to the main hallway slid open, and Remus Lupin appeared, holding a goblet of some sort of liquid.

"How's it going?" He asked his son, sitting down in a nearby chair. James shrugged again and pushed some hair out of his eyes.

"Fine, I guess. It's not like we're some wild party animals." He winked at his father, who rolled his eyes. Rebecca skipped down the stairs and sat on the arm of her father's chair. 

"Is Daniel invited?" She asked James sweetly. He sighed and nodded as Rebecca clapped her hands.

"_No one,_" Remus began. "Is allowed into _any _of the bedrooms." He growled, but smiling sweetly at his daughter. Rebecca just sighed,

"Do you _really _think I'd allow anyone but Cassie and Lilly in my room? I'm not _that _stupid!" 

James snorted at the comment and Rebecca glared at him. Remus looked between both of his children, wondering what was going on. James pulled a face at Rebecca as his father's head was turned, and she jumped off the seat, ready to chase him. Her brother was too quick though, and he raced up the stairs, though she was right on his tail. 

He shot past her bedroom and ran into his, slamming the door in her face. Rebecca banged on it once before she stormed off into her room. James released a sigh of relief, but he caught his breath again, as he realized there was someone else in his room.

Lilly stood at the foot of his bed, standing very stiff with her hands clasped together in front of her chest. She had on a very scared smile and was making odd noises.

"Hi, Lilly." He said softly, still leaning against his door. She waved slightly, her face really pale. They stood in the dim room, the light from the crescent moon shining through the window by his bed. It illuminated her perfectly, showing off her freshly cut curls, and her very pale arms and legs.

"Hi." She whispered. "Um. I was only in here because—er—Cassie threw yesterday's Snitch out of Rebecca's room, and, well, it fluttered into here…and…I didn't want to lose it because Jacob gave it to me because I caught it and all…" She explained. "See?" She unclasped her hands and the little Snitch released its wings. 

James took a few steps towards her, to examine the Snitch. 

"Yep. That's a Snitch, I guess I can believe you." He chuckled, looking up at her. He loved her short hair; it fell just below her ears and the curls were little ringlets, giving her a very sophisticated look when it should make her look childish. Lilly blushed and closed her hands again.

"Congratulations, on graduating." She said, looking a bit more relaxed. "It's going to be weird, next year, without you…and the others." 

James smiled and pushed an out of place curl behind her ear, causing her to blush even deeper. 

"I'm going to miss you." He said softly. Lilly bit her tongue as tears sprung to her eyes. She dropped the Snitch and threw her arms around his neck, letting the snitch flutter around the room as she cried into his shoulder. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. 

They were odd. It was very hard for a relationship to work when they were in different years, so the two didn't even try, but then, they didn't try to date other people, either.

They stood hugging for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence, when they heard a couple of laughs downstairs, indicating that guests were starting to arrive. 

"We have to go." She whispered. James nodded, taking one last breath of her hair. She wasn't much shorter than him, so their foreheads knocked without much effort. 

"Can I kiss you, first?" He asked quietly, though he had been waiting to ask for a very long time. Lilly smiled and nodded. They both leaned in, and kissed softly, in the glow of the moonlight. 

"_Parrrrrrr-tay_!" Jacob yelled, Apparating into the house. He was amazingly thrilled that he was able to do that, after waiting since December (when he got his license). It annoyed him immensely that you weren't able to in Hogwarts. 

There were only a few people there, including most of the Gryffindors, so Jacob didn't feel at all odd for shouting. He liked having everyone stare at him, especially at his bright orange Cannons shirt and khaki shorts. 

Anthony, on the other hand, did not. He wore more casual clothes, a green buttoned up shirt and blue jeans.

"Will you shut up?" He muttered, pushing Jacob in the shoulder and brushing by to the couch. Jacob rolled his eyes and searched for Soledad, Brian, or James, but only Brian was visible and he was a little occupied by the former Head Girl. 

"Hmph." He complained, planting himself in a seat. He knew his parents were visiting the Lupins and other relatives on the other side of the house, so this party was already a bit of a drag. 

James came down the stairs looking a bit flushed, but he flashed Jacob a huge grin. The redhead stood up and shook hands with his former roommate and they began to joke around.

Anthony searched the room for any sign of his favorite blonde, but she hadn't shown up yet, and he was growing anxious. They had decided to tell his parents today about their engagement, thinking that because so many people surrounded them that they wouldn't make a scene. He hoped that their prediction was right. 

He watched as more of his classmates Apparated into the room, and the noise level began to increase. He wondered how on Earth had the Lupins allowed James to hold the party. 

Brian had Sarah under his arm tightly, whispering something in her ear that made the girl's cheeks redden. She slapped his arm, but he just laughed and kissed her. 

Andrew and Joseph were messing with the radio, looking for a station that didn't play such happy music. He watched as Joseph poked it with his wand, but to no avail. 

"Ooh get off me you stupid prat!" A happy voice giggled. Anthony turned around to see that Jacob had picked up Taylor, and was now carrying her over to him. 

"Eh, look what I got for ya!" He exclaimed, dropping her onto Anthony's lap over the back of the couch.

"Oomph." They both muttered, and Taylor sent a few sparks Jacob's way ("Oww!"). Satisfied, she turned to look towards Anthony, who was smiling goofily at her. 

"Hey there, love." She whispered, kissing him. Anthony smiled brightly and hugged her around the waist. "I just popped in, and I missed the target. Landed right on Jake!" She exclaimed, laughing. Anthony sent her an odd look, but she just shrugged. "So, where are your parents?"

Anthony paled a bit, but he forced a smile.

"On the other side of the house…did you tell your mother?" He asked cautiously. Taylor stood up and nodded, taking his hand and bringing him up.

"She was a little shocked, but she said that she was…_happy_ for me…she just wants to have a word with you, and then your parents." She said quickly. Anthony gulped.

"She doesn't like me, does she?" He asked, as they brushed by Bridget and her Hufflepuff boyfriend, Darwin. Taylor shrugged slightly and they began to walk the long hallway (which was rather empty) towards the lounge room. 

She was pulling him along, giving Anthony a chance to look her over; he hadn't gotten to in a while. She was wearing Muggle clothes, like he was; only she wore a light blue spaghetti strap shirt, and light green…pedal pushers? He wasn't sure. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun, and when she turned around to smile at him, he noticed some faint white eyeliner.

"You're bloody gorgeous, you know that?" He said softly, stopping abruptly. Taylor sent him a very seductive stare and slid her arms around his neck. 

"No, tell me again." She winked and kissed him, having his arms wrap around her waist. Taylor's lips parted with his, and she began to trail kisses along his jaw line, making Anthony's eyes close.

"You're absolutely dazzling, everyday." He murmured as she went down his neck, making him smile. "You're beautiful, I mean it. I love your smile, your giggle, the way your hair shimmers in the light. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you--" She cut him off by pressing her lips fiercely on his, making him back up into what he thought was the wall, but was really a door that swung open at the impact. 

He didn't get a chance to look around because Taylor shut the door with her foot, cutting off the light source. She pushed him back, still forcing her lips onto his, not that he minded, of course. His hands now traveled up her back as she slunk her hands down his chest, unbuttoning the shirt he wore. Anthony's eyes grew wide and he pulled away. Taylor kept her grip on his shirt.

"Whoa. Taylor…" His voice sounded very loud in the darkness of the room. She sighed and tapped her foot on the rug.

"It's not like I haven't seen you without a shirt before, we've been swimming together in the lake since _first year_!" She exclaimed. Anthony remembered the last time the group had gone into the lake; he had liked Taylor's attire _a lot_. Maybe…

"Taylor, this is _really _different." He whispered, bringing his hands from her back to brush her cheeks. She huffed impatiently. 

"It's our first day out of Hogwarts," She began to unbutton the rest of his shirt, very slowly. "Don't you want to…I don't know, have a little thrill?" Her voice sent a very warm shiver down his back.

"But…here? Come on, there are a lot of people out there, my _parents _are on the other side of this house!" _Why_ was he arguing? 

"_Lumos_." Taylor muttered, illuminating the room with her wand. It appeared that they were in a guest bedroom, because of the bed that was behind Anthony's and the bareness of the room. He looked down at her, just to smile his patented smile.

She had pulled her hair out of the bun and stood with her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the side. It was one of Anthony's favorite poses. Taylor bit her lip, and her eyes shined in the light of her wand. 

"Don't give me that look…" He said tauntingly, carefully wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. 

"Just for a few minutes, please?" She pouted, tracing a single finger along his chest. Anthony could barely understand what she was saying, but he shook his head and took her hand in his. 

He kissed the back of it, and then her nose, then lips. She reached with her other hand to slide around his neck, but he caught that one too. Anthony trailed kisses across her cheek, then kissing her ear,

"Save it for the Honeymoon." He growled, making her shiver. Anthony pulled back and smiled, giving her one long lingering kiss. Taylor seemed to finally agree, and he quickly began to button his shirt.

"Let's go tell your parents." She giggled happily, pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "They're going to be _my _parents too, sort of." Taylor giggled again, this time, not stopping. She actually jumped up a bit. Anthony couldn't help but laugh at her, and she didn't seem to mind. 

Taylor spun around, her hair floating for an extra few seconds. 

"We have to start planning this, oh, it's so exciting!" She exclaimed, flinging her arms around him. Anthony, who was finishing his last button, was caught off guard in the dimly lit room, and lost his balance. The two fell onto the bed and bounced a bit. 

Taylor's hair fell down onto his face, for she was lying _very _on top of him. His heaving breathing was the only sound in the dark room, and slowly, the light of her wand faded out.

"Ooh." Taylor whispered, bringing her face close to his. "It's _dark_." 

"You did that on purpose." Anthony muttered, not daring to move her off of him in the dark. She giggled slightly, her warm breath tantalizing Anthony's nerves.

"Nope. Not my fault you're slow at buttoning, but while we're here…" She brushed her lips against his. "Why not take advantage?" 

Anthony sighed slightly,

"Mrs. Future Weasley, as I said before, though you _know _that I'd love to spend all night with you, we should wait until the Honeymoon, when we're sure that we're alone and no one will walk in on us. You'll still be radiant from the wedding, and then, we can have as much fun as you'd like, how about it?" He said this all very softly, his face heating up at what he was indicating they were going to do. 

Then, he felt tears on his face. Quickly, in the dark of the room, he found her waist, and her rolled her on her side.

"What's wrong?" He asked nervously. Taylor sniffled and choked a bit, putting her head in her hands. Anthony squirmed for his wand, and he found it, turning it on by muttering "_Lumos"._

She sat with her hair around her face, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. He tried to think of what he said that would make her cry so hard, so he reached an arm around her, pulling her close. She had only cried to him a few times, but she had never cried with such intensity before. 

"Taylor, what's wrong?" He asked again. She looked up at him, but she couldn't match his eyes, her light blue irises darted away from his. 

"I-I lied. I love her so much, so-so I lied." She mumbled, releasing another sob. Anthony raised questioning eyebrows.

"About what?" 

She stiffened under his arm and looked down at her hands. The room filled with silence, except for her constant sniffling. Then, she released another cry, and began, 

"She doesn't want us to get married, I lied, I-I lied!" She finally looked up at him, and Anthony saw the pain within her eyes. "She told me that she wouldn't go to the wedding, she told me that she hopes it rains on us! She couldn't _believe_ that I fell in love with a _Weasley_, after she had told me all the stories of how your father was so mean to her! She even talked about how _horrid _your mother was! She told me that she never wanted to see me again if I married you, she said she'd tell people that she _didn't have a daughter_!" 

Taylor broke down now, hiccupping because of her tears, and burying herself in Anthony's chest. He, on the other hand, did not want to just sit around and cry.

Anthony stood up angrily and began pacing in front of her, his fists clenched. 

"How-how _dare _she say that?" He exclaimed, punching his hand into the other. "How _dare _she tell you all of those-those horrible _things_? You're her only _daughter_, for God's sake! And who is she to talk about _my _parents? She's just some…some bloody Slytherin who had no friends and couldn't keep her bloody hands off of that Death Eater _Malfoy_!" 

The words slipped through his lips before he could even think of the impact of them. He froze his walk, and for a second, he didn't think he could turn to look at Taylor. But, he did, because he had to.

Anthony gaped at her, completely shocked by his own words. Taylor was the product of Pansy Parkinson's bloody hands on Draco Malfoy. He wanted to vomit because of what he said. He wanted to die because of the look in her eyes.

She…she just stared at him, the tears had stopped, but the emptiness that flowed out of her eyes was immense. He knew that she wanted to say something, her mouth moved slightly as her breathing rate increased. Anthony didn't think he should be allowed to go near her, because of his words, because of the look in her eyes. 

"Taylor, I--" 

"_Don't._" She interrupted. Anthony cringed at the anger in her voice. "_Don't bother_."

He began towards her, but it was too late. She had Apparated just as his wand dimmed out, leaving him alone in the darkness of the room. 

"Look, it's really handy, especially when she decides to go rambling off in Spanish." Jacob pointed his wand at Soledad's mouth, and she stared at him, annoyed. "_Bilingos Spanish_."

"I look like some test dummy." She muttered, putting her hands on her hips. Jacob smiled at her, enjoying how irritated she was; he loved the flare in her eyes. 

She had dressed up for the party, too, making Jacob want to look at her even more. It was common for young Witches and Wizards to dress in Muggle clothes, because of this generation's great involvement with them. The red head was very supportive of some of the clothes his girlfriend wore, instead of hiding under the bulky cloaks of his elders. 

She wore a small top with ruffled sleeves, brown with a rose pattern all over. Her clingy red skirt was frilly at the bottom, and her strap sandals revealed red toenails. Jacob loved it. 

"Come on now, Solely, just say a few words in Spanish. I want to show them how this translator Charm works." He asked anxiously, sending her a loving smile. James, Brian, and Sarah stood around them, staring on eagerly. Soledad rolled her eyes,

"_Tú me molesta_." She grumbled. Brian and James snorted, while Sarah looked on interested. Jacob smiled triumphantly. 

"Thank you, doll face. Now, I'll just put this up to my ear and say, _Translos_." 

"You are bothering me." A recording of Soledad's voice rang out, causing the group to cheer. Jacob smiled brightly, taking his girlfriend's hand and pulling her under his arm,

"See? My Spanish will improve greatly with this, aren't you proud?" He said, a cheesy smile on his face. Soledad couldn't help but grin, and she nodded softly.

"_Señor Weasley, usted del silicio va a ser un hombre verdaderamente talentoso si usted puede aprender hablar mi lengua materna_." She said quickly, snickering. Jacob frowned at her, pushing her away slightly.

"You didn't warn me! That was a long one!" He muttered, poking her in the nose with his wand. "Say it again?" 

Soledad shut her mouth tightly, and Jacob groaned. She smiled a silly grin and walked towards the food-covered table, eyeing some of her favorite snacks lying upon it. 

As she carefully piled some on a plate, she overheard the conversation her boyfriend was getting in with a former rival, Daniel Martin, the Ravenclaw Captain. 

"Did you at least get a scar from it? Making us wait a week for the match!" Daniel asked, making some people laugh. Soledad cringed, letting the snacks slide off her plate and back into the bowl.

"Of course I got a bloody scar! Mind you, it's not a Lightening Bolt or anything, but it's still a nifty souvenir." Jacob joked. Soledad felt as if her insides were going to explode, and she turned around slowly to watch as he lifted down the collar of his shirt to show off the scratch-like scar. Daniel, a few other Ravenclaws, and some of her friends surrounded Jacob, to get a look. 

_Bang! _A shot ran through her brain, and she dropped the plate completely to grab at her head. _Bang! _Soledad clenched her teeth, trying to keep the pain out of her head. 

"Looks like it hurt." Daniel said solemnly. Jacob rolled his eyes, smacking the blonde boy in the back of the head.

"Of _course_ it hurt! Felt like a million Bludgers hitting me at full speed!" 

She didn't realize it, but Soledad had knocked down the bowl of chips into the punch when she leaned back on the table, gripping its edge. No one else seemed to realize it either. 

_Bang! _Tears streamed down her cheeks now, and she rushed past the circle of people that had formed around Jacob, and into the dark hallway of the house. Where was the bathroom? Did James say third door on the left, or right? _Bang! _The noise shook her body, and she threw herself against the wall for support, but instead opened a door. 

Soledad shut the door quickly, leaning against it and breathing heavily. She reached for the right side of the door, where she found the light switch. A gasp slipped from her mouth as she realized she wasn't the only one in the room. 

Anthony sat on the edge of the bed (they were in what looked like a guest room), staring at the ground in front of him. Her sudden entrance didn't startle him. Soledad looked around the room, wondering why Taylor wasn't in there as well; it was odd to see the two apart. 

The curly haired girl squirmed a bit, not sure if she should leave to find another place to cry, or talk to Anthony about whatever is bothering him. 

"What's wrong, Soledad?" He asked, before she could decide. Anthony didn't even look up at her as he asked. She bit her tongue and wiped at her eyes. 

"Oh, ah, _nada_, just-just…it's really loud out there." Soledad muttered, wringing her hands together. She took a deep breath, and a step forward. "What's…what's wrong with…you?" 

She watched as his head lowered even lower, and she noticed for the first time that he held something small in his hands. He twirled it between his right thumb and index finger, and it glinted, in the dim light. A small ring a band. 

Soledad recognized it as Taylor's as she drew closer to Anthony, stopping by on his left side by one of the posts of the bed. Her best friend had bounced around their dorm room those last couple of days, showing off the ring, but never giving the other girls a reason of why it was so special, just the simple fact that "_An_thony gave it to me!" Soledad figured it was a promise ring of sorts. 

"Where's Taylor?" She asked, and then she grimaced, realizing that she was probably the reason for his dismay. 

"Gone." He answered softly, clenching the ring in his fingers. "I think I ruined it."

Soledad was suddenly confused.

"Er…did you two fight?"

Anthony shook his head, lifting it up to shake the hair out of his eyes. Unlike Jacob, Anthony had let his hair grow a bit long, passing his ears. Soledad noticed that behind his now hair free glasses, his eyes seemed empty.

"I said something terrible and…I deserve to be here by myself." He released a deep breath, but still refused to look at Soledad. Holding up the ring, he continued. "I proposed to her, that day…of the incident. I wanted her to keep it a secret because I wanted our parents to be the first to know, sorry. I know she wanted to tell you, and I definitely wanted to tell Jacob…but there's no point anymore. I ruined it."

Soledad stared at the ground, really not sure what to say, but knowing she had to say something.

"It couldn't have been that bad. I mean; you guys have practically been together since first year!" She exclaimed, quite alarmed at the turn of events. If _Taylor and Anthony_ could break up…then who _knows _what could happen between her and Jacob. 

Anthony just sighed and looked at his hands, which had the ring in his clenched fist. They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Soledad put her hand on his shoulder, to show that he had her sympathy. He didn't budge; Anthony just stared at the ground, but Soledad could hear his irregular breaths. 

"I never lose my head like that, I always…I always remain calm, no matter how mad am I. But lately...whenever anything hurts her, whenever I see that she is in pain, I get so angry that I want to break something." He finally broke his gaze with the ground to stare into Soledad's hazel eyes. "I have no idea how I'm going to go on without her." 

She smiled sadly at his words, knowing that he truly loved her friend. Not that it hadn't been obvious, but she had never had Anthony tell her how he felt. Soledad, Taylor, and Bridget often spent nights giggling on Taylor's bed about their boyfriends, even if it did seem very childish. They often wondered if the boys did the same thing, but the Gryffindor girls figured that their boys were too 'macho' for that. 

"Well…" She started, searching for the right words. "I know she loves you, she doesn't shut up about you." She smiled brightly as Anthony chuckled softly. "She's probably just upset, at whatever you said. I don't think seven years of friendship and love are going to be erased because of one fight. Go and find her, _tú eres su amor verdadero_…her true love." Soledad squeezed his shoulder in an assuring manner. 

Anthony nodded slightly, taking a deep breath. He stood up turned back to Soledad, smiling softly.

"Thanks for talking to me…and about your dreams…don't work yourself up over them. Just talk to Jake, he'll understand. He loves you a lot." His smile brightened as she blushed furiously.

"How…how do you know?" She couldn't resist asking. Anthony winked at her and crossed his arms,

"He told me." and then he Apparated. As soon as he disappeared, there was a small rapping at the door. 

Soledad quickly smoothed out her skirt and shuffled to the door. She slowly opened it, and she peeked out, to see Jacob's concerned face. 

Soledad smiled brightly, hoping that her eyes weren't red. He stared down at her with concerned eyes, then peering into the room behind her suspiciously. 

"Someone told me they saw you run in here, are you okay?" Jacob asked, putting his hand on her back and ushering her out of the room. Soledad shrugged softly, and then quickly wrapped her arms around his waist. He looked down at her oddly, while she smiled contently. 

"_No podría ser mejor._" 

"Aw! I wasn't ready for that, say it again?" 

Woot. :) Please review, I want to know what y'all think about these change of events…Anthony gets like, really angsty (I guess) in the next couple of chapters. 

Remember to visit the website (http://www.cristinacentral.com/weasleysthename.htm) and to drop me a line! It's only nice :)

  
Thanks for reading!!!


	21. The Aftermath

Anthony tried to think of all the places Taylor would go to, to run away from him. He first thought her house, but then he figured that it would do him no good if he ran into her mother. The Leaky Cauldron? He tried, but Tom the bartender said that he hadn't seen a young blonde in there for a few days. Hogsmeade? The red head searched every ally, but found nothing but some old Weasley's Wizard Wheezes wrappers. 

It was then that it started to rain. He stood in the ally staring down at the red and gold wrapper, wondering where on Earth she could be. He didn't exactly care that he wasn't wearing the proper rain attire; a quick charm would dry his clothes easily. Anthony just wanted to find her, and to let her know that he loved her with everything he had, that he was truly sorry for what he said. 

But, he knew it was getting late, and it wasn't safe to Apparate when tired. Closing his eyes, he pictured the front steps to his house, and when he opened them, there he was. 

By the looks of the house, his family was home, but maybe not Jacob. Anthony and Taylor had discussed looking for a flat that weekend, because they were supposed to have announced their engagement already, so this would have been one of his last nights here. Anthony sighed deeply, his heart aching.

He pointed his wand towards the doorknob and muttered the correct password. His mother had set charms all over the house so that no one could Apparate in or out. That fact would be quite frustrating if the twins had to live there for much longer. 

The door swung open slowly, and Anthony noticed that his cat, Marauder, was sitting on the bottom step, eyeing him carefully. 

"Hey there." Anthony said softly, coming in and bending down in front of it. Marauder purred as his owner rubbed his back, and looked up at him with his crystal eyes. Taylor often said that he and Marauder had the same color eyes. Anthony felt that familiar tugging of his heart. 

His entrance caught the attention of Emily Weasley, who was sitting in the living room writing a letter on the floor. 

"Don't just stand there with those wet clothes, go upstairs and change!" She exclaimed. She looked up at him oddly, noticing his depressed expression. "You look like crap." 

Anthony rolled his eyes and started up the stairs.

"Thanks, you really know how to cheer a person up." He heard papers shuffle and then Emily was following him up the stairs.

"What's wrong, what happened?" She asked quickly, trying to race up ahead of him. Anthony blocked her way. He sighed and looked down at his sister, knowing she was going to tell his parents that something was wrong with him. 

"You're _really _annoying me right now." He muttered, continuing up the stairs. Emily stayed behind for a few steps, eyeing her brother carefully.

"Wait…you're not Jacob, are you? Because _An_thony wouldn't talk to me like that." 

The comment made Anthony stop, and he released a sigh of misery, sliding down the side of the stairwell to sit. Emily smiled knowingly and came to rest a step below him. 

"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" She asked nicely. Anthony stared at her for a few seconds, but her blue eyes never wavered, and he groaned. 

"Taylor and I…we had a fight." He explained, looking away. "And she left the party and I couldn't find her afterwards."

Emily nodded slightly, biting the inside of her cheek.

"And you checked everywhere?" She asked. Anthony shrugged.

"I went everywhere I thought she might be, but I'm _so_ tired…I didn't want to get splinched or anything." He lolled his head back against the wall. "If I don't find her…I'm going to lose it, I swear." He blushed slightly as he let his emotions go to his sister. Anthony wasn't very open with his family about Taylor, though he believed that they knew how much he cared for her. 

"She'll show up. I mean; it's not like you cursed _her mother_ or anything." Emily said innocently. Anthony's eyes shot open, and his blush deepened. He watched as his sister's mouth dropped. "_Anthony_!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth. "You _didn't_!" 

He cringed and nodded sheepishly. Emily groaned and covered her eyes.

"It was by accident!" He explained. "I was so furious because her mother told her she wouldn't support our marriage--" Anthony covered his mouth too late. He _had _to learn how to stop his rants. Emily's eyes widened behind her hands, and she threw them down to see her brother's face.

"_Marriage_?" She squealed, her shoulders tight. Again, Anthony blushed and nodded. Emily released a shriek and threw her arms around his neck, laughing happily. Anthony couldn't help but smile and hugged her back, though he was reminded of the object in his pocket. 

"It might be over though," He said, pulling away from her. Emily frowned and shook her head, but Anthony nodded. "She left the ring before she Apparated. It might mean it's off." 

"Bull shit!" Emily said dismissively, standing up with her hands on her hips. "She's just upset, there's _no way_ she just _stopped_ loving you!" 

"I just don't know where she could be!" He exclaimed, exasperated. "And don't curse, Mum will have your neck." 

Emily rolled her eyes and stared down at her brother with a look that said 'Do you think I care?'

"_Please._ Anyway, you _have_ to find her as soon as possible, because a girl like Taylor will _not_ stay single for long!" She said knowingly. 

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Anthony growled, standing up to look down at his sister. Emily didn't seem phased at the least. 

"It _means _that guys are going to be asking her out as soon as they know that she's single, so you _better _make amends because I want a sister-in-law!" She poked her finger into his chest a couple of times to make her point. All Anthony did was sigh.

"Alright, I'll go looking for her again tomorrow, but right now, I need some sleep and some dry clothes." 

"I _would _help you," Emily said, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "But I'm not _allowed _to use magic, like _some _people around here." She sighed impatiently and made her way back down stairs. Anthony just ignored her as he headed up the rest of the stairs and to his room…that he noticed was open. 

Peering in, Anthony tensed up again. In the dark room, his mother sat on his bed, bouncing his baby sister in her arms. Hermione Granger-Weasley looked up and frowned at her son, as Delaney squirmed.

"You're soaked." She noted, and with the quickness and accuracy only Hermione could have, she pointed her wand at him and dried his clothes without missing a bounce of Delaney. Anthony sighed softly, grateful, though his hair was still sopping on his head. 

"Sorry." He muttered in a tone he didn't normally use with his mother. Anthony winced, knowing that she was going to pick up on it right away. 

"Bad party?" Hermione asked, looking down at her youngest. The little girl was still a bit of a fuss when it was time to go to bed. 

"You can say that." Anthony mumbled, searching through his dresser for a pair of pajamas. "Why are you in here, anyway?" He turned to her, a pair of dark green pants in his hands.

Hermione sighed and rocked Delaney a little harder.

"She's been fussing all night, we had to leave the Lupin's place really early because of her. Then your father tried putting her down in her room, but she exhausted him and _he_ fell asleep on _her _bed, though I don't know _how _he pulled that off—wait, I _do _know, it's _your _father, he can fall asleep _any_where." She giggled slightly, and then continued. "She ran into here and every time I try to get up and leave she starts screaming. Once she falls asleep, I'll be out of here." 

Anthony just grunted in response as he sat on his desk, his pants pulled tightly to his chest; he was _not _changing in front of his mother. He watched as Delaney sat up in their mother's arms, and she reached for him, her big brown eyes pleading. She had bushy brown hair like her mother, and a temper like her father. Hermione looked down at her daughter, curiously.

"She seems to want you, come on." Hermione held her out towards Anthony, keeping the blanket wrapped around the baby. Anthony moaned and slid off his desk, and reached out for his sister. Delaney giggled happily and snuggled her self into his arms. He couldn't help but smile as Hermione helped him wrap her up in the purple blanket. 

"Will you look at that…?" Hermione whispered, watching as her daughter's eyes fluttered closed. Anthony smiled proudly and sat on the bed, rocking her softly in a steady beat. 

"I've never put a baby to sleep." He said softly, staring down at the slumbering child. Though a bit scared that he was going to wake her up, he brushed a few curls out of her face. Delaney didn't stir; she just turned her head into his chest.

"You're good at it." She complimented. "Is she completely out?" 

Anthony peered down at the baby, and he nodded, noticing how she didn't flinch. Hermione gently took her out of her son's arms, and she smiled down at her children.

"Well, good night, sweet heart." She whispered, leaning over to kiss his forehead. Anthony smiled softly and watched as she slowly crept out of the room, but before she shut the door, Anthony cringed,

"Mum?" The word slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. Hermione peered back in, indicating she had heard him. Anthony squirmed a bit, looking down at the ground. Hermione entered the room again, looking clearly concerned.

"What's wrong, Anthony?" She asked, her voice tense. He couldn't catch her gaze as his breathing rate increased. What was he going to tell her? That the love of his life had just disappeared without a word? That he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with himself if he didn't find her? "Did something happen with Taylor?" 

His head snapped up and he realized that his mother must have quickly put Delaney down in her room while Anthony was thinking (the little girl's room was right next door). Anthony let out a choked breath and nodded, feeling the tears that had been trying to escape since the party spring to his eyes. 

Hermione was sitting next to him within milliseconds, her hand moving up and down his back in a soothing manner. His breathing was ragged, but with his mother's gestures, he knew that he was about to spill everything.

"I proposed to her!" He exclaimed, looking at her with his blurry eyes. Anthony took his glasses off and began wiping them on his sleeves. "Last week, we were going to tell you tonight, I promise, we _were _going to tell you." Hermione just nodded, though he couldn't miss her shocked expression. He continued at amazing speed, "And then tonight, she told me that her mother hated the idea, that she was going to _disown _her if she did. She—her mother—said some horrible things about you and Dad, and I-I blew up! I yelled and said something horrendously mean and Taylor was _so _upset! She took off the ring and left! I have no idea where she is and I'm afraid that I'm never going to find her!" 

His shoulders shook as he cried, and Hermione immediately pulled his head into her shoulder. She ran her hand through his hair and shushed him just like she had with Delaney. They just sat like that for a long time, Hermione rocking him and letting him run out of tears. It was an ironic twist; that she had immense trouble with the baby of the family but was able to put her seventeen-year-old son to sleep. 

The next morning, Ron was making breakfast while Hermione sat at the table nervously, tapping her fork against her plate. 

Ron, who had been dealing with the rattling of the plate for a few minutes now, slammed down his hand (which had been levitating the frying pan over the oven).

"_Hermione_." He growled. "Would you _please _stop doing that?" Ron forced a smile at his wife, who bit her lip. He immediately noticed the anxiousness in her face, and let the pan drop to join her at the table. "What's wrong?"

Hermione shrugged uncomfortably, but her instinct let her down,

"Anthony thinks it's over between him and Taylor." She blurted, then peering into the hallway to make sure that none of the children where around. Delaney sat obliviously in the chair across from Hermione. 

Ron's eyes widened a bit, but he seemed more interested than concerned. 

"Oh really? What did my idiot son do? Because it's _always _the guy's fault." He asked, slightly amused. Hermione's mouth dropped open at her husband's reaction.

"This is _serious _Ron, he's heartbroken!" She pouted, crossing her arms. Ron rolled his eyes and came around the table to put his arm around her. 

"Look, if they had a fight, they'll get over it. I've seen them together, they remind me of you and me when we were young." He smiled and gave her another squeeze. "Don't get all motherly, you know how they hate that." 

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder. 

"But I _am _his mother." She complained, but the giggle couldn't be compressed. "I guess you're right, there's no point butting in." 

"You, butting in? That's _absolutely_ ludicrous." Ron yelled, getting out of her grasp before she could hit him. Delaney threw some cereal flakes at him, giggling madly,

"Poppa stop poppin'!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Ron stared at his youngest oddly, then turning to Hermione; she just shrugged. The red head rolled his eyes and went back to cooking, when it seemed like a bowling alley had formed in their stairwell. Delaney covered her ears, and Hermione got up to check what was going on. 

Jacob and Emily had rushed down the stairs, both still in their pajamas, red hair all over their faces. Jacob had her around the waist, keeping her from reaching the kitchen.

"Let me _go _Jake!" Emily screamed, swatting her arms at her brother. Jacob just smirked and picked her up, placing her behind him. These two were _very _competitive. 

Jacob ran into the kitchen and slid into the seat next to Delaney, looking absolutely triumphant. His curly hair was standing up at every end, and he simply wore a white undershirt with his Chudley Cannons pants. He turned to his baby sister with a huge grin on his face, and the baby just threw cereal at him.

"That's what you get for causing such a ruckus!" Hermione reprimanded, completely astounded that her son could have graduated from Hogwarts and at the same timeact like a five year old. 

Emily stormed into the kitchen, her curls in an unruly bun. She wore a light green plaid pajama set as she stood behind Jacob's chair, boring a hole into the back of his head. Without warning, she gave him a quick slap to the back of his head.

"_HEY_!" Hermione and Ron screamed, causing Delaney to hide under the table. Jacob grabbed the back of his head and turned to glare at his sister. He started to get up and Emily backed away, but Ron put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't you _dare._" Ron commanded, his voice low. The room grew quiet at the sound of his voice. The children and Hermione _knew _that when he talked like that, he wasn't to be fooled around with. Emily cowered under her father's gaze and she blushed furiously with embarrassment. "Go to your room, you don't get breakfast until we've _all _finished, and _then _you get to do the dishes."

Emily opened her mouth to retort, but her father sent her a look as if he was _challenging _her to say something. She pursed her lips, knowing she was defeated. 

"Well…I'm _never_ going to be able to come down, since Anthony isn't going to leave his room anytime soon!" She winced slightly, knowing that she shouldn't have said what she did. Jacob looked as he was going to strangle her for telling, but Ron and Hermione just stared at her concerned. 

"Why, what did he tell you?" Hermione asked, already heading for the stairs. Ron grabbed her arm before she left the kitchen. Emily wrung her hands together and stared at the floor.

"Oh, er. I knocked on his door to tell him breakfast was ready, and he just yelled at me to go away. Then Jake tried to open the door, but there must've been some charms on it, because it wouldn't budge." The family could tell she felt awful about telling them this. 

Hermione bit her tongue and shared a worried glance with Ron. He released a sigh, then his wife. 

"He's a bit depressed. He'll come down in a few minutes." Ron said knowingly, patting Hermione of the shoulder. He nodded towards Emily, as if indicating for her to leave, and went back to the stove. Hermione watched as her oldest daughter and Jacob shared a very worried look, and she couldn't help but ask,

"What _else _do you two know?" She asked in her 'better tell me' voice. Jacob and Emily's head shot towards their mother and smiled weakly. Hermione immediately knew that something else was wrong. 

"Er…" Jacob began. He squirmed a bit as Ron turned around to look at the scene as well. "Anthony…he got a…a _Howler_ this morning…from her mum." His face grew red with anger and he looked down at the eggs and pancakes his father had placed in front of him. Emily leaned back against the refrigerator and nodded at her parents.

Hermione looked up from her children and saw that Ron's face was scarlet. He caught her eyes and immediately rushed out of the kitchen, storming up the stairs. 

She wanted to go with him; she wanted to help her baby. But, Hermione knew that Anthony would have enough trouble talking to his father, let alone having _both _of them there. 

So, she looked at the rest of her children and forced a weak smile. She noticed that Delaney wasn't anywhere to be seen, so she bent down and looked under the table. The little girl giggled at being found, and rushed into her mother's arms. Hermione was glad that at least one of her children was innocent enough not to have to deal with this sort of pain. 

Ron stopped in front of Anthony's door, pausing to think of how he should begin. He stared at the beige door with his hand centimeters away from it. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Go away." Anthony's voice immediately called. Ron could tell by the muffled tone that he was still in bed.

"Since when do you talk to your father like that?" He retorted, crossing his arms. There was a shuffle in the room, and now Anthony's voice was much clearer,

"I really don't want to talk to anyone right now." He said, and Ron heard a closet door swing open. 

"How'd you keep the Howler quiet?" Ron called, smirking at the stubbornness of his son. It sounded as if Anthony ran into something, and he cursed, very unlike himself. 

"Bloody Emily with her big mouth." He mumbled, and Ron pounded on the door angrily,

"Watch your mouth!"

"She has a worse mouth than me!" Anthony retorted; slamming what might have been his closet shut. "And I put a silencing charm on my room, but Jacob and Emily caught the first bit of it." 

"What did she say? I bet she's just as bitchy as I remember." Ron had to hold back a snicker. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Anthony's enraged eyes bore into Ron's.

"Don't talk about her like that!" He yelled, gripping the frame of the door tightly. Ron could tell that his son had not gotten much sleep; Anthony had huge bags under his eyes and his hair was very frizzy and up at all angles. He _was _dressed though, in a plain blue t-shirt with khaki pants. Ron thought for a brief second that Anthony possessed more maturity than all of his other children combined. 

"And _don't _raise your voice to me." Ron said calmly, crossing his arms. Anthony's eyes narrowed, but like the rest Ron's family, he knew not to get his father angry. Ron stood only a few centimeters taller than him, but he was much more muscular. 

"You talking like that is the reason I'm in this mess." Anthony explained, in a calmer tone. "I repeated something I heard you say about her, and I'm so sorry for it." He left the doorway and went back into his room, towards his bed. Ron followed him in, though he didn't take offense to his remark because he didn't deny saying some nasty things about Pansy. He then noticed that the bedroom seemed to have been torn apart. 

Anthony's entire desk was clean, though all of the things that used to sit upon it were now in a heap on the ground. His bed sheets, blankets, and pillow were also in odd places around the room. A pile of clothes sat in front of the closet, and the posters that were once posted on his walls were crumpled in the garbage can. The only thing in the room that seemingly hadn't been touched was a shelf with his camera, picture frames, and flipbooks. 

"Have a rough night?" Ron commented, not bothering to avoid the obvious. Anthony tilted his head in response, and shoved a bunch of papers off his desk, letting them flitter to the floor. 

"You can say that." Anthony mumbled, kicking the papers out of his way. He then put his hand into his bookshelf and pushed all the books off.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ron exclaimed; flicking his wrist and sending the books back onto the shelves. He was exceptionally powerful in magic with_out _his wand (which annoyed Hermione to no ends).

Anthony threw his arms up and turned around to face his father, his eyes wild. 

"Exactly what I've been doing since I got that bloody Howler! Tearing up my damn room, cause if I use my wand to release my frustration I might hurt someone! _So, _I'm breaking everything in my room just so I don't destroy our family!" He screamed, grabbing his hair. "If you _excuse _me, I'm going to go scream into my pillow now, since the silencing charm doesn't seem to be as affective as I'd like." He breathed heavily, now finished with his hysterical rant. 

Ron just stared at his son, amazed with his 'speech,' though it was a far cry from the calm and collected piece he had recited at his graduation.

With another flick of his wrist, Anthony's eyes immediately rolled back into his head, and he fell straight back onto his bed. Ron rolled his eyes and went over to his son and helped him onto the bed. 

Hermione was now at the door, holding Delaney on her hip. She gasped at the sight of the room, and at her sleeping son.

  
"What_ happened_? I heard some thumps and I ran up here!" 

Ron shook his head and joined his wife at the door.

"He was a bit hysterical, probably couldn't believe the fact that _he _received a Howler. Was ripping up his room because he had to release the anger."

Hermione stared sadly at her son, then she pouted towards Ron.

"Can I be a mother now?" She pleaded. Ron sighed and shook his head.

"You're _never _going to get respect from your students in September if you're always so kind and loving!" 

Hermione glared at her husband, and Ron sent her a weak smile. Delaney eyed the two carefully, and she noticed her mother's hand slipping out her wand. Ron did not. 

"_OW_! Her_mione!_" 

Anthony lied on his back on his bed, staring up at his enchanted ceiling. The stars twinkled and shone brightly, and Anthony was able to make out some constellations. Not that he cared. 

It had been five days since the fight, five very long and tiring days. Every one of those days, except the first, had been spent scouring every single place Anthony had ever been with her, hoping for just a glimpse of the blonde. He was getting desperate now, because he knew that she must've gone _somewhere_. Maybe she had learned to perform _Invisocorpus_, and every time Anthony had appeared, she just…disappeared. She would never have to let him look at her again. And oh, did he _want to_. 

He groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. The red head knew he couldn't go on like this forever. He actually felt a bit pitiful, not doing anything but devoting his time to finding her and flipping through his photo album. The thought of actually _moving on_ crept into his mind at random moments, but…how could he move on without actually _ending _it? Had she really just blown everything they ever had away? Did it all mean _nothing_? And if she had, why had it all been decided by _her_?

_Her_. Anthony thought back to the past few days, and he couldn't even remember saying her name. _She. Her. The blonde. _It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't mutter a two-syllable name without wanting to tear out his heart. He often wondered if she was thinking about him and he wondered if her heart ached as much as his when he thought about her.

The former Head Boy didn't budge at the annoying rapping on his door. It was probably his mother trying to get him up and about. A little white lie would make her go away, he had learned. So, he pretended to be asleep, closing his eyes and turning onto his side. 

The infuriating rapping did not stop. It continued for a few minutes as if someone was hammering a very long nail into his door. Anthony tried to knock out the sound, using it as sort of a relaxing tool…follow the beat of the rap…but it didn't work. It was just plain annoying, and he decided to stop it.

"COME IN!" He screamed, rubbing his temples, trying to rid the echo of the rapping. The doorknob turned, and Jacob popped his head in, smiling brightly.

"H'lo there, little brother." He said happily, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. Anthony groaned and pushed his fingers tighter against his temples. 

"You're only older by five minutes, you dolt." He muttered, watching as Jacob grabbed at his heart in mock sadness.

"Ouch, you would think you'd pay some respect to your elders. Anyway, I've come to make sure that you are still alive, and by the looks of it, you are. What shall I do now?" He plopped himself down on a chair backwards, his arms and head leaning on the back. "Maybe I'll just sit here and stare at you. I've never seen an actual person vegetate before."

"Fuck off." Anthony mumbled, grabbing his pillow and throwing it at Jacob. The former Gryffindor Keeper caught it with great ease. 

"Nah uh, don't get violent with me, because you _know _I'll kill you." He smirked proudly, throwing the pillow to the ground. 

  
Anthony held in a scream and fell like dead weight back onto his bed, burying his head into his sheets. Jacob rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand, sending some sparks towards his twin.

"Aw…ickle Toniekins can't be bothered?" Jacob mocked, using a very old and very _hated _nickname of Anthony's. He watched as his twin peered up at him through his sheets, a vicious glare shooting out of his eyes. 

"_Fuck. Off._" He repeated. Jacob just stared at him with a bored expression. 

"Get up, we're going out." He stood up and pushed the chair away from him, reaching over to pull his brother out of the bed. Anthony quickly swatted at his brother's arm, hoping to hurt him. Jacob wasn't going down that easily. He grabbed the sleeve of Anthony's shirt and pulled him into a sitting position, and then he heaved him up in one strong tug. 

"Get _off!_" Anthony yelled, trying to thrash himself out of Jacob's grasp. He stood up, though his brother's hand still had a tight grip on his shirt. "I don't _want _to go anywhere!" 

Jacob just smirked and began to lead him towards the door, now getting a firm hold on Anthony's shoulder.

"I've already packed some stuff, you don't mind, do you?" He said calmly, as if he was talking to his mother. Anthony pulled back, aching from Jacob's fingers digging into his shoulder.

"I don't care! Get the fuck off of me!" He screamed. Anthony tried to pull away one more time, and he saw the snarl on Jacob's face a second before his twin grabbed his other shoulder, spun him in front of him, and slammed his back against the wall between the door and the closet. A large thud was resonated through the room, and Anthony squinted his eyes from the sudden impact. 

A silence fell upon them, Jacob's heavy breathing the only thing that broke it. Anthony finally decided to look up at his brother, he was angry, but he wasn't sure why anymore. 

Jacob glared daggers into Anthony's eyes, held a tight grip on his shoulders, and spoke through gritted teeth,

"I told you _not_ to get violent with me." He said softly, the calm before the storm. "Now, you're going to come with me, or I will beat your fucking ass to a bloody pulp." Jacob banged Anthony against the wall again as if to seal the deal. "Alright?" 

Anthony stared an equally cold glare at his twin, but Jacob was relentless, and he looked away, defeated. 

"Fine. _Fine_. Where are we going?" 

Jacob's glare faded away and in a split second was replaced with a silly grin,

"Andrew Jordan's set up some connections for us, it's very handy to have a famous radio personality as your father." He opened the door and dragged Anthony out, going behind him and pushing him down the end of the hallway. "Now, go take a shower or something and get dressed for some fun in the sun!"


	22. Across The Pond

It took Anthony a good twenty minutes to finally come out of the bathroom. Though, Jacob was sure, that his twin had spent a lot of the time trying to figure out how to get out of the bathroom. Luckily for Jacob, their mother was an expert in locking charms, and that he had inherited her skill. He had performed a few on the bathroom before he had fetched Anthony. 

Anthony swung the door open, still looking annoyed, but more relaxed than he had been. He pushed his glasses up his nose and huffed a bit, ready for Jacob to tell him what was going on. His damp hair was flat around his head, dripping down his face and onto his light blue shirt.

"You can't go looking like _that_." Jacob said as if it was completely obvious. From his crossed arms, he pointed his wand at Anthony's chest and muttered some charms. Anthony looked down at his shirt and watched, as it became a button up with Hawaiian print flowers. His jeans shrunk into blue bathing suit shorts and his sneakers became dark blue sandals. He felt his hair dry up, and as he turned to look in the mirror, he saw that it was combed exactly how he liked it, straight all around, falling onto his forehead. 

Anthony looked back up at his brother, but was more astonished to see that his glasses shimmered gold, and then vanished into thin air. He was able to stare at Jacob with clear sight, and he smiled for the first time in a few days. 

"That's an _amazing_ charm, Jacob, where'd you find it?" his scholarly curiosity coming back. Jacob just shrugged and then performed the charm on him self. His outfit was almost identical to Anthony's, except his outfit was mostly dark red; his shirt was open without anything underneath. A pair of very _cool_ red glasses formed on his face, and Jacob smiled a wicked grin. 

"Just thought of it." He answered, turning on a heel and heading down the hall and rushing down the stairs. "Come on! I have all our stuff packed. We need to get to the Portkey before five; it's sort of a group thing. We're meeting at The Leaky Cauldron." 

Anthony followed, still amazed that he had no glasses slipping off of his nose. He wondered where exactly his brother was taking him, maybe Hawaii, but how would all that work?

"Is Soledad going?" He asked, leaning on the railing as he watched Jacob sling two very thin bags over his shoulders. His twin shook his head, and began going towards the dining room,

"No, and I'd appreciate it very much if you didn't tell her." Jacob disappeared from sight. "_MUM! _WE'RE _LEA_VING!" 

"Hold on a second!" She called from somewhere in the back. Jacob appeared with a very agitated smirk, lolling his head as far back as possible. 

"We _really _don't have time, they're expecting us in like," He looked down at his watch. "_Now._"

Hermione appeared with Delaney hot on her trail. Anthony waved to his little sister and she crossed her eyes at him. 

"Where do you think you're going dressed like _that_?" She asked in her most motherly of tones, pointing her finger at Jacob's exposed chest and stomach. He looked down at himself, and then back to his mother, his glasses hiding his emotions. 

"Like what?" He asked with absolute honesty. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hands on her hips.

"How long are you going to be gone?" 

Jacob threw his hands up and started towards the door,

"Don't _worry_! It's all perfectly safe, it's all perfectly legal," He grabbed his brother's wrist and pulled him down the stairs, opening the door with the other hand. "And I promise to have Anthony back before he's too pissed to walk straight!" He said very quickly. 

Jacob sent a huge smile at his mother, who was staring at her twins in complete shock. She seemed to be warming up for a scream, but Jacob pulled his brother through the door, and they Apparated. 

The Leaky Cauldron was much different from the last time Anthony remembered it. Bright colored streamers hung from every corner to every corner, and floating flowers held little candles, giving everything a very exotic feel. A banner that read "Congratulations!" hung over the bar. Tom stood behind it with a bit of a smirk on his face, but on a stool sat world famous radio personality Lee Jordan, so he couldn't have been _that_ frustrated.

"Hey! If it isn't the Weasley twins, come on in boys, the others are in the back waiting for you!" Lee exclaimed, combing his hand through his short braids. "I hope you have some fun!" 

Jacob smiled brightly and strutted down the hallway Lee had indicated, and Anthony followed, nodding in thanks to the older man. He had figured out that this was Lee's graduation gift to his son, though how he had convinced Tom to let him use The Leaky Cauldron was beyond Anthony.

Down the hall, a group of boys, all familiar to the twins stood, talking animatedly. 

Joseph Longbottom wore a Chudley Cannons t-shirt with orange shorts, waving at the twins that were approaching. His sandy hair was streaked with orange, and Anthony had a feeling that he had just been to a game. James Lupin stood next to him in a crimson muscle shirt and black shorts. He held a red towel to his chest, and he nodded towards Anthony. 

"Oy! Look who decided to show up!" Andrew Jordan exclaimed, rushing over to exchange handshakes. His hair was tied up into intricate rows of braids down to the base of his neck, and he wore a simple white muscle shirt and jean shorts. 

Jacob pulled his sunglasses off and rolled his eyes at his friends,

"I had to get _this one,_" He jerked his thumb at Anthony. "Up and out of the house, had to force him." 

Anthony shoved his brother in the back, but blushed at the fact that the other boys _must've _known about his girl troubles. 

Brian appeared from a door to their left side, grinning widely at the twins. He wore no shirt, just dark green shorts. His brown hair was spiked up at every angle possible, and he looked positively ecstatic about it. A white towel was slung over his shoulder, and his bright green eyes shone with excitement. 

"Are we good to go then, now that these two morons are here?" He said jokingly, dodging some jabs from Jacob. Andrew checked his watch and nodded, picking up a beach ball that was lying on the ground between James and Joseph.

"Alright, it's going to start in ten seconds, everyone put a hand on." He pushed the ball into the center of the circle they were in, and each of the boys placed a hand on.

Anthony had a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he knew in his heart that he needed this…he needed a break. 

"Three…two…one…" 

The twins had never traveled by Portkey, and now they knew why. The tugging of their stomach by some sort of invisible hook was much worse than the constant spinning of Floo Powder. It went on for what seemed like eternity, but was probably only a few seconds.

When the tugging stopped, they were in a very dark room, the only light coming from the space under a door behind Anthony.

"Hurry and get out, there's no point staying in the dark, unless you have a girl, of course." Andrew exclaimed, pushing past the others and opening the door.

Music and bright light burst into the room, and when all the boys were out, they had to shade their eyes from the blazing sun (except for Jacob who was grinning madly with his sunglasses on). When they adjusted, Anthony's mouth dropped open in shock.

Laid out in front of them was the most beautiful beach he had ever seen. People (witches and wizards most likely because of the extravagant umbrellas) played volleyball; they surfed on the perfect waves, and walked around comfortably in all different types of bathing suits. 

"What are we waiting for?" Brian shouted, pushing through and looking triumphantly at the beach. "I can't believe your dad got us passes to go to the States without having to deal with all that trouble of papers and stuff." 

Andrew smiled proudly and they began down the boardwalk, which was quite empty since everyone was on the beach. People roller bladed, rode bikes, and skateboarded, while others casually walked, enjoying the morning sun.

"With a reputation like _my _father's, we probably could've gotten all these people to come over to _our _house." He explained, winking at two very tanned girls in very skimpy bathing suits. 

"So where are we, anyway?" Anthony asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead and feeling horrible about being surrounded by so many girls and people having fun. 

"We, my twin," Jacob started, putting an arm around Anthony's shoulders. "Are in the lovely city of Tampa Bay, Florida for the End of Year Blow Out that is annually held by the infamous Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" 

"I thought that was further north; in Massachusetts, isn't it?" Anthony said, completely ignoring the fact that they were surrounded by people who were his age and in basically in the same situation he was in; not exactly sure what they were going to do with their lives. 

Jacob moaned and pushed away from his brother,

"Get your mind out of your books, it's time for some fun!" He turned back to the other boys who had headed out to the beach and were now looking for a spot to of their own. "Come, on, I want to hit these clear blue waves!" Jacob grabbed Anthony's wrist, and the two trudged through the sand to follow their friends.

The boys found a nice spot in the middle of the beach, between two groups of other boys. They seemed friendly, and it was no problem getting into conversations with them, although their accents _were _a bit unusual to the Hogwarts graduates.

One of the boys, Paul, who had straggly brown hair and dark brown eyes, seemed the most enthusiastic about the events of the day, and had taken no time in telling the Hogwarts boys all about it.

"We've been waiting since first year, it's a huge tradition that star'd up when our parents graduated. They all took a Muggle road trip down hea, and it's been the thing to do eva since." 

"Why didn't they just Apparate?" James asked, pulling off his shirt because he was eager to get in the water. Paul rolled his eyes and sighed,

"You have to be eighteen to Apparate here, it's _so _annoying." 

Jacob laughed full heartedly, casually strolling towards a volleyball game that was going on, forgetting that he wanted to go into the water.

As the others in his group dispersed, Anthony decided to continue to talk to the Salem boys, because other Wizarding schools have _always _fascinated him. 

"So, who was your class Head Boy and Girl?" He asked, shading his eyes from the noon sun; he had forgotten that the States were five hours behind London.

Paul tilted his head slightly,

"Head Boy and Girl? Do you mean like, valedictorian, or something?"

Anthony blushed slightly, forgetting another fact about schools in the States; they had Valedictorians and Salutatorians instead of Head Boy and Girl. 

"Er…yeah." He said sheepishly. Paul nodded knowingly, and then began to scan the beach for someone. 

"She should be around here somewhere…I was surprised she even came, she's a bit of a lona', if you ask me." 

Anthony smirked at the comment. Just by looking at Paul's attire (ripped shorts and a shirt that said 'New York Yankees') and by the way he held himself, he could tell that he was a popular jock. His broad shoulders and very muscular arms also helped Anthony deduce this fact. 

"Ah, here she comes now, actually." Paul said. "Yo, Jillian, dahling!" He called in a very fake voice. Anthony turned to try to find the girl Paul was staring at, and immediately noticed a group of three girls stationed about twenty meters from them. One of them looked up, and stared at Paul in an annoyed fashion. The sneer reminded Anthony of his mother's. 

The girl, Jillian, walked towards the two, lifting her legs high as she walked so she wouldn't get sand in her black sandals. She wore a two-piece black bathing suit, and a gray wrap around her waist. Her straight dark brown hair fell to her shoulders and was cut in a choppy sort of style. Jillian glared at Paul with her golden-brown eyes, and appeared to not have noticed Anthony standing beside him.

"What do you want?" She asked harshly, crossing her arms over her chest. Anthony couldn't help but noticed that her top didn't have any straps. He blushed immediately and looked towards the game his brother had joined. 

Paul snorted and clamped his hand onto Anthony's shoulder. 

"This fella' right hea wan'd to meet you. He's from England, and I know how you just _love _boys with accents." 

Anthony peeked at Jillian from the corner of his eyes, and noticed that she was staring at him with her mouth hanging open. He fully turned to her and smiled softly, sticking out his hand,

"Hullo, I'm Anthony--"

"Weasley. I know." She interrupted, grabbing his hand quickly and shaking it. Paul stared at the two oddly, and Jillian shooed him away with her free hand (she still hadn't let go of Anthony's)

"How'd you know my name?" Anthony asked, a bit annoyed that even across an ocean he was still known as a Weasley.

Jillian's smile faded, and she blushed deeply, letting go of his hand.

"Oh, um, ah…you're very popular here in the US." She said quickly, running her hand through her hair. Anthony's face contorted into one of confusion.

"Wha-_what_? Why? _How?_" He put up his arms in confusion, staring oddly at the girl. She seemed to be struggling to answer the question, but she sent him an award-winning smile. 

"You seriously don't know?" She asked. Anthony shook his head slowly. Jillian giggled slightly and grabbed his hand again, "Come on, I'll show you." 

She dragged him across the sand and back onto the boardwalk, where they stopped in front of a stand with many different magazines hanging and floating around it. The vendor, an old man with very white hair and light green eyes, smiled at them, showing off his missing teeth.

"Good morning, youngin's." He said happily. "What're ya lookin' for?" Anthony noticed that the man's accent was nothing like Jillian or Paul's. He had what sounded remotely like a British accent, but with a bit of a…twang? Anthony had no idea.

"Um, do you have last month's edition of _Teen Witch_?" Jillian asked politely, searching the magazines with her eyes. The old man's eyes lit up and he nodded, reaching under his desk. 

Jillian turned to Anthony and sent him bright smile, as if she wasn't sure of what to say. 

"Here ya go, ma'am, it's on the house since it's an old edition." The old man smiled a toothless grin. Jillian sent her bright smile towards the man, and nodded her head slightly.

"Thanks a lot, have a good day!" 

She began to walk down the boardwalk, not gesturing Anthony to follow, but he did anyway. Her brisk past was a fresh awakening to Anthony, who hadn't been about it a few days. Jillian flipped through the magazine without looking up at where she was going; there were a few people who had dodged away at the last second. 

Anthony watched over her shoulder carefully, trying to read the pages she was looking through. 

"Ah ha!" She shouted, and stopped abruptly, causing Anthony to plow into her. They forced some laughs as Anthony blushed slightly. Jillian shoved the open magazine to his chest and looked over the rim of it, pointing to the title of the article. "Look, right there." 

Anthony took the paper and stared down at what her finger was pointing at. He gasped slightly, and backed away,

"_Children of Famous Wizards, How They've Grown!_" under it, a collage of pictures of various teenagers, and, in the center, was one of Anthony and Jacob, at their graduation. 

He looked up at Jillian, who was staring at him with an expectant look. He felt his lip twitch, but he wasn't sure why.

"How…how did they get this?" He asked, his voice strained. Jillian eyes him oddly, as if his nervousness was not what she was expecting. They began to walk again, and this time Jillian led him to a bench right by an entrance to a parking lot. 

"Well, you're very famous!" She exclaimed. Anthony stared at her in utter confusion. Jillian rolled her eyes and continued, "Your parents were key parts of defeating Voldemort and the world watched their relationship throughout all of it, you and your siblings are like, little icons, I can't believe you don't know!" 

"I guess they learned from my father's temper in England, that we like our privacy." Anthony said, though he was very intrigued about his sudden celebrity. Jillian cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but she tossed her hair over her shoulders as if to calm her self. Anthony couldn't help but notice how the sun bounced off of her dark brown locks. 

"Uh, I'm sorry…I guess, I didn't know. I mean; they always have pictures of you, not this month's issue, though." Her blush deepened as she darted her eyes away. 

Anthony guessed why she was blushing; she must've been a fan. He smiled slightly, not used to having people actually _attracted _to him, mostly because the girls at Hogwarts stayed away from him because of his relationship with…her. 

"How do they make me out? Am I a total prat?" He asked, crossing his arms. Jillian shook her head vigorously, her eyes shining.

"No way! You're supposedly like, the perfect gentleman, while Jacob's the crazy, wild one." 

"That seems about right, do they mention any of my cousins? The Potters?" He leaned back against the bench to stare out at the beach, the graduates seemed to be enjoying themselves, relaxing without having to think about their future for the first time in a few months.

"Oh, the boys are a little too young, but everyone _loves _Lilly, she's absolutely gorgeous, isn't she?" 

Anthony shrugged slightly and shaded his eyes from the sun. 

"You would have to ask some other guy, I've never looked at her like _that_."

They laughed, and Jillian began to fill him in on all the things the various magazines said about them, and pictures they have taken. They also discussed their time at their schools, favorite classes, and what they wanted to do now that they had graduated. 

She was very enthusiastic about telling and listening to all the information they were sharing, and her eccentricity didn't bother Anthony at all. Jillian was turned out to be very similar to him, they way they were both so scholarly, and the shyness they each possessed. It was a shock to them that they talked for almost two hours on that one bench, and truthfully, Anthony enjoyed every minute of it. 


	23. Later That Night

Later that night, at around nine o'clock, a huge barbeque was held in the middle of the beach. A fire burned in the middle of a large circle of people, the light of the fire bouncing off of their faces in an exotic ways. There was music playing; some of the Salem students had brought guitars, and were now strumming some very impressive tunes. It seemed, to the Hogwarts boys, that the Salem students took the Muggle part of this trip very seriously (except for the extravagant umbrellas from earlier). The hotdogs and hamburgers were being grilled by a set of triplets, each girl with long shiny brown hair and light green eyes. 

"What a day!" Brian sighed as one of the girls (she had enthusiastically introduced herself to the boys as Jessica) placed a hamburger on his plate. He was the last on line of the Hogwarts boys, and now they slowly made their way back to their area. All of their towels had been combined to make one large sitting area. 

They each plopped themselves on their respective towels as they watched some students begin a dance around the fire. Paul, from earlier, was in front of what was becoming a line, and the girl behind him put her hands on his hips. This pattern continued, until almost all of the Salem kids (who weren't eating) started to dance around the beach in the line. 

Andrew stood up suddenly, forgetting his food. 

"Come on, it's a conga line!" He exclaimed, grabbing his Joseph's hand. "Maybe we'll end up behind some girls!"

Joseph groaned, but got up to follow his best friend, "Are girls _all _you think about?" 

Andrew sent him a blinding smile, "Of course!" and they started towards the end of the line. 

Jacob chuckled as he finished off his hotdog, watching as Andrew fell into step behind a very tall blonde and Joseph awkwardly placed his hands on a short red head that had ended up behind Andrew. 

Anthony sat on the edge of the blankets with his knees pulled up to his chest, his elbow between his legs and chest, and his chin in his hand. Jacob's charm had worn off a bit, and his glasses and returned to his face, though his clothes remained the same. His sandals lied thrown on the other side of the towels, and he dug his bare toes into the sand. 

He had been eerily quite since he had joined the boys again after his conversation with Jillian. His brow furrowed as because he was deep in thought, and he watched as the Valedictorian stood with her two friends in what seemed like a very animated conversation. 

His stomach ached with an unfamiliar feeling, it was as if he had swallowed a large rock and it had settled at the bottom of his stomach. She had made him laugh and smile so much that muscles in his face ached. Jillian had done something to him, and it made his throat dry. It also hurt his heart, and he wanted to find out why.

"Hey Ant," Brian called from the opposite side of the blankets. Anthony snapped out of his trance and turned to look at his cousin, though by looking at the rest of the Weasleys, Brian would've been the last person you would have picked to be part of the clan. His dark brown hair and bright green eyes were attributes no other Weasley had, except their little sister, Delaney, odd, that. He stared at Anthony oddly, his head tilted slightly. "Who was that girl you were talking to all day?" 

At this, Jacob snapped his attention towards his twin, and Anthony blushed deeply. He watched as this twin glared at him, and shrugged his shoulders towards Brian,

"Her name's Jillian, she was Salem's Valedictorian. We had some stuff in common." And with that, he turned back to the fire, watching it spit bits of flames at everyone. He felt Jacob scoot over to him, and Anthony tensed slightly, knowing his brother was going to reprimand him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jacob hissed, as Anthony predicted. He turned to face his brother, who wore a look of utter confusion. "I brought you out here to get some sun, and you go out and mess around with some girl?"

"Who said I messed around? All I did was talk to her, unless that's your definition of _messing around_, which I fully doubt." Anthony said with a voice full of sarcasm. 

"I saw you staring at her, I had no idea why, thought you might be just off in your own little world, but I guess not." Jacob mumbled, leaning back on his hands. He too looked out towards Jillian and her friends. "Might want to wait a little bit before you jump into anything else, don't you think?"

Anthony released a really loud sigh and slammed his hands on the ground beside him,

"Did I _say _I was going to do anything? _Bloody hell_, I'm _so _confused right now, I don't need you jumping on my back about anything!" He turned quickly towards his brother, sending him an angry glare. Jacob just eyed him carefully, a knowing smirk on his face. 

Anthony stared at his brother for what seemed like eternity, trying to read what he was thinking. Did he know what was going on? Did Jacob have some sort of theory about all the feelings that were racing through his mind?

"Oh, are you guys busy?" A sweet voice from behind asked. Anthony snapped around and was surprised to see that Jillian and her two friends standing at the edge of their towels. They were just as pretty as she was, but they seemed to be a bit shyer than her. They stood behind her, eyeing the other boys cautiously. 

"No." Anthony said quickly, sending a glare towards his brother. He stood up and wiped the nonexistent sand off of his clothes. "Jillian, this is my brother Jacob, my cousin Brian, and my friend James. Guys, this is Jillian and her friends." 

The girls waved politely, and the boys returned the waves with less enthusiasm. Apparently, to Anthony, they all didn't like this situation. 

Jillian seemed to notice the tension as well, because she backed away shrugging her shoulders,

"Where are you going?" Anthony asked quickly, grabbing her arm. She seemed a bit alarmed by his actions, and stared at him with questioning eyebrows raised. He let her go as fast as he had grabbed her, and blushed at his actions.

"I was actually going to go and look for some seashells…I just wanted to say hi." Jillian said her voice filled with suspicion. 

Anthony nodded knowingly and noticed that her two friends had started a conversation with Andrew and Joseph (who had rushed off the conga line when they saw the group of girls close to their friends).

"Can I go with you?" He asked, feeling Jacob's glare on his back. Jillian looked slightly uncomfortable, but she nodded, and tilted her head in the direction she was heading.

"Yeah, sure…" and the two began to walk off. Before they got ten feet away, Anthony felt a slap on his back, and he turned around to see a red sandal lying on the ground by him. He shot his eyes towards Jacob, but his twin seemed totally immersed in the dancing that was going on. Anthony knew though, that the former Keeper had thrown the sandal at him. 

They walked in silence for a little while, both of their wands lit up to search the sand beneath their feet. They hadn't had any luck looking for seashells, but it was relaxing to let the cold waves splash upon their feet every now and then. The campfire was now just a spark in the distance, but the voices of the Salem teens could still be heard. 

"Well, this was pointless." Jillian sighed, stopping and crossing her arms. The light of her wand dimmed out, and Anthony's followed its lead seconds later. "I guess that was a kind of dumb idea, huh?" She asked, looking over at him. Anthony shrugged slightly, burying his hands in his pockets as he stared out towards the waves that were breaking.

"It's okay, it's nice though, the ocean." 

And it was nice. The moon was far overhead, and it's light bounced off of the numerous waves in the water. It glistened with each movement and it seemed to go on for eternity.

"It is. Have you ever done this before? I mean, have a lovely night walk on the beach?" Jillian asked, sitting down and wrapping her arms around her knees as she pulled them up to her chest. She had a pair of black sweat pants on, with a gray jacket over her bathing suit top. Anthony followed her suit and sat down with his legs straight out in front of him.

"No, but I've done something similar. There's a lake right outside of Hogwarts, it's rather beautiful at night…" The memories flooded his mind immediately, and Anthony felt the familiar stinging of his eyes every time he thought about _her_.

"Oh…was it with your girl?" Jillian asked quietly, stretching her legs out in front of her. Anthony nodded slightly, biting his tongue at the thought. "What's her name? You didn't mention her earlier." 

He turned to her, ready to see either a very disappointed stare or an angry one. But, he saw neither. Jillian looked earnestly interested in the information she was asking for. 

Her hair fell to the side as she tilted her head in a questioning form. He liked that style, though long flowing hair was more to his taste…Anthony noticed how her hazel eyes twinkled in the light, but…they didn't make his stomach flutter like the pale blue eyes he was in love with…he couldn't stare into Jillian's eyes with the same look of adoration he did with _her_…

"Taylor." He said more to himself than to her. Jillian nodded appreciatively, turning her gaze back to the ocean. 

"I like that name, I have a friend name Taylor. We have a tiny pond, by my house. My boyfriend, Will, and I used to skip stones in the summer, it's fun." 

Anthony tried to suppress his surprise at her comment and he stared at her just as oddly as she had him. Jillian blushed slightly,

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention him," She put a single finger to her lips, "Shh…don't tell." She giggled.

He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't. All that worrying that he was attracted to her…and if he actually were there would have been no point because she had a boyfriend. The rock in his stomach seemed to disintegrate in the acids. Maybe it wasn't an attraction…maybe it was a realization… 

"Yeah…you didn't. Er…why isn't he here?" Anthony asked quietly. A million thoughts were swimming through his mind, and no matter how hard he tried to calm himself down, he couldn't, and he began to breath a little heavier.

"Oh, he lives in Australia, that's why Paul said I liked guys with accents. Their graduation was today, actually, and I didn't want him to miss it, and he didn't want me to miss this trip…So…what's Taylor like?"

Anthony didn't know if he could really put into words how wonderful Taylor is. He had tried, in his mind, but there were never enough similes or metaphors to compare her with. What did he really think of her? She made mistakes and was sometimes rude, but that just made her the amazing person she was…the person he knew he was truly in love with. 

"Taylor is…I've known her forever, since I was eleven, and I'm pretty sure I've liked…_loved_ her since then. I don't know how to describe her…she's the most gorgeous woman I've ever had the pleasure to lay my eyes on…but…she's so much more than that. She's…just _perfect_, but not really. Do you understand?"

Jillian nodded knowingly, letting go of her knees to lean back on her hands,

"Absolutely. Will is _so _frustratingly stubborn, but," She gazed out into the ocean. "It makes him…_him_. It's funny, we wouldn't have ever gotten together if it wasn't for him refusing to move out of my way in a restaurant in Australia, made me miss the Portkey home, and I had to sit with him for an hour; haven't gone a day without talking to him since. I miss him terribly, we only spoke for a few minutes this morning…" Jillian looked back towards the campfire, "She didn't come today, I'm assuming?" 

"No, it's just us guys. Taylor and I…we had a bit of a row…er…_fight_, recently, and I haven't spoken to her in about six days." He explained painfully. Jillian nodded softly, combing her hand through her hair,

"Do you think it's over?" She asked quietly, darting her eyes away from the water to him. Anthony stared out at the reflection of the crescent moon on the water. It sparkled like a thousand jewels freshly cleaned, and…yes…he could spot the exact blue of her eyes in the water. 

He smiled softly, remembering how her eyes had shined when she talked about their marriage, the way she had spun around giddily. The way she had smiled at him literally sent sparks of warmth throughout his body, and yes, it made his heart flutter. 

"No." He answered in a voice softer than what she had used. Turning to her, he saw a bright smile on her face, causing him to smile too. Anthony stood up quickly and put his hand out for Jillian, which she graciously took.

"Why are we here when we should be with the ones we love?" She asked, snuggling her sweater closer to her body as a cool ocean breeze swept by. Anthony smiled brightly, and the two began to walk back towards the fire,

"I have no ruddy idea, but I plan on going back to England as soon as possible. This trip's made me realize how much I miss her." 

When they reached the campfire, Anthony noticed that his friends had not moved from their towels (except for Andrew, who was flirting with a very pretty tanned girl). He was standing a few feet in front of Jacob, who was lying on his back with his shirt under his head as a pillow. Anthony made sure to step on his brother as he crossed the towels to grab his sandals. Jacob sat up abruptly, grabbing his stomach because of the foot that had just pushed itself into it. He sent a glare towards Anthony, but his twin just smiled, and motioned for him to follow. 

Jillian started towards her two friends and waved over her shoulder, 

"You better find her, Anthony, or I'll cross this pond and pull every strand of red hair out of your body!" She threatened with a teasing voice. Anthony waved back and nodded in agreement. 

He began to roll up his towel, and Jacob rolled onto his stomach, staring at his brother with an incredulous look.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" He asked, a grin on his face. Anthony turned to his twin and smiled a wide smile,

"If you think that I'm going back to England to find my Taylor, then, yes, I am doing what you think I'm doing." 

"I want to go back too." James said suddenly, standing up with his towel already rolled up. "It's been fun, but…I don't know." He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Brian stood up as well, wiping the sand that was all over his pants (he had a lot of fun playing volleyball, diving all over the place). 

"Yeah, let's get out of here." The green eye boy agreed. The Hogwarts boys cleaned up their area and trudged up to the boardwalk ready to go (Andrew needed much persuasion, but after he got the girl's address, he was satisfied and ready to go).

As they opened the door to where the Portkey was held, they began to discuss the day's events, and it seemed that they each had an enjoyable time.

Brian and Jacob began to reenact their _spectacular _plays during the volleyball game by conjuring a fake ball from Brian's towel and spiking it around the room. Andrew stared lovingly at the paper that held the girl's address and he discussed the situation with Joseph.

James checked over the schedule of the Portkeys, and the next one to The Leaky Cauldron, London, England was due to leave in five minutes after their arrival. 

"We missed the original one, it was set for five o'clock US time, will your dad be mad?" He asked Andrew. The former Chaser shrugged slightly,

"Eh, I guess it'll be like, an extra payment…" As he said this, he calculated the extra time they had spent there, his mouth slacking open. "Oh Merlin, he's going to be _furious_!" All color left Andrew's face and he raced to the bottle of lotion that was the Portkey ("Hurry up!"). James chuckled softly, nudging Anthony to take a look at the frantic expression on Andrew's face. The redhead smiled softly, but he was still deep in thought. 

Now that he had decided not to totally give up on the situation with Taylor, he wasn't exactly sure of what he could _do_. He had asked Soledad for some information of her whereabouts, but the curly haired girl could not give him any details; Taylor had not responded to any of her letters either. 

And that Howler her mother sent…_that_ proved she was not at her house either. Anthony shuddered at the memory of the Howler…

_"YOU BLOODY WEASLEY! HOW _DARE_ YOU BREAK MY DAUGHTER'S HEART! YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT I DON'T CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY, BUT TAYLOR IS MY _LIFE_ AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT HER BEING HURT BY SOME _BOY_ WHO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT! SHE LEFT ME A NOTE DETAILING WHAT HAPPENED, AND NOW SHE'S GONE OFF TO BE ALONE! I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS MAYBE YOU'LL REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU TRULY_ HURT_ MY DAUGHTER! IT PAINS ME TO SAY THIS, BUT I KNOW SHE DOES LOVE YOU, SO YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF THIS, OR I WILL _PERSONALLY_ MAKE SURE THAT TAYLOR NEVER SPEAKS TO YOU AGAIN!"_

Anthony smirked and watched as the other boys began to gather around the Portkey.

"Come on Ant," Jacob called, touching to very tip of the bottle. "Don't want to wait another three hours, do you?" 

He shook his head and joined the boys and placed a single finger in a free space between James and Brian's hands. 

"Three…two…one…" Andrew counted down. And the pulling on his stomach started again and they raced back to The Leaky Cauldron. 

They landed in the same corridor they had left, Joseph, James, and Anthony falling down in the process. The other boys laughed and trudged down the hall to the main section of the bar, passing a few of the hotel rooms that seemed empty. 

Jacob had Brian in a headlock as they made their way towards the bar, and Andrew was pulling his cloak from the bag he was carrying. The redhead placed his cousin's head on the counter, grinning madly at the power he had over him.

"Ergh! Let go you bloody moron!" Brian grunted, gripping Jacob's arm as well as he could. 

"Language, Brian." A very sleepy voice said from the other side of the counter. Jacob and Brian looked up slightly, and the redhead quickly let go of his cousin to stare at the two girls sitting in stools at the end of the counter. 

Tom the bartender wiped his hands with an old rag and chuckled at the astonished looks of the boys. Sarah Lee and Soledad Diego sat on the opposite end of the counter. Sarah had her head in her hand looking very tired, and Soledad's head was hidden under the mass of curly hair that was laid on the table. 

Jacob hadn't seen his girlfriend since the weekend after graduation, when she went home to her parents in Madrid. Letters were nice, but to actually see her…well, that was completely amazing.

"These two were looking for you gents, told em' that you'd be back at ten…" He leaned back to look at Andrew, who looked petrified. "Your father burst in here a little while ago, he didn't look too happy." 

Andrew made a very strangled and terrified sound, and Apparated out of the bar. Tom chuckled softly, and began to wipe the counter,

"When they said they were looking for Weasleys I set up two rooms, cause I knew you'd guys would be responsible, plus, I don't recommend that the ladies Apparate." 

Jacob and Brian nodded and then rushed to their girls, each of them very apprehensive about approaching them. The other boys entered, and were quite shocked to at the sight. James breathed a sigh of relief, and leaned to whisper in Anthony's ear,

"Good thing I told Lilly where I was." He winked, and then said his good nights as he Apparated. Joseph did the same, and then Anthony, shaking his head at his brother and cousin before he left.

Sarah seemed to only be awake because of the simple fact that Brian had showed up. She smiled softly at him as he helped her up, and fell into his chest for support.

"Sarah…" He whispered, putting his arms around her waist. "What are you doing here?"

She sighed softly into his bare chest (she hadn't noticed he had no shirt on) and draped one of her arms over his left shoulder.

"I came with Soledad, she wanted to tell you guys something…" Sarah giggled softly, and Brian just decided to carry her out. He slowly wrapped his arms around her legs and lifted her up. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, "She has really big news, I want to tell you…but she'll be mad…" And with that, Sarah fell asleep on his shoulder.

Brian looked very anxious and distressed. Tom smiled even brighter, and jerked his thumb towards the hallway they had just come from. 

  
"First door on your left, be good." He said with a laugh. Brian blushed furiously and nodded, silently thanking the old bartender.

Jacob was having a harder time with Soledad. He lifted her shoulders back, but she was completely asleep, meaning that she was dead weight. 

"Come on, love." He murmured, picking her up in a similar fashion as Brian had Sarah. Tom rolled his eyes at the two, and Jacob stopped to talk to him, "You know what they wanted to tell us?" He asked, as he adjusted Soledad in his arms. 

Tom's eyes twinkled mischievously, but he shook his head,

"Nope, not a clue. First door on your right." He smiled brightly at Jacob, and continued to wipe the counter. Jacob eyed him suspiciously, but he bid the bartender good night and headed towards their almost quiet room (Tom had begun to hum a tune that reminded Jacob of a Cannons game he went to). 

As he opened the door, Soledad began to mumble some incoherent words, and Jacob quickly brought her into the room. Flipping on the light, he found the bed (this made him blush), unlocked the snaps of her cloak (which fell to the ground without further notice) and he gently placed her down, making sure she was in a comfortable position. 

Standing up, Jacob took her slumber as an opportunity to look her over, and wonder what could be so important. She was dressed very casually; a pair of blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt was seen under her cloak. Her hair was completely loose around her head, and Jacob couldn't help but smile at how pretty her hair was, not that she thought so. It was often tied up, because of her insecurities of it being extremely unruly. Pointing his wand at her, he performed the same charm he had on Anthony, and now Soledad was dressed in a two-piece yellow pajama that he had seen her in before. 

He watched as her lips moved again, and her eyes squinted tightly, in an almost anguished look. Concerned, he dropped to his knees by the side of the bed, pushing some hair out of his face and letting his fingers linger on her cheek,

"Hey…" He called softly, caressing her cheek. Her face contorted into one of pain, and her mouth opened wide to maybe scream, but all that came out was a very strained gasp for air. With the experience he had with Anthony, Jacob knew not to wake someone who was having a nightmare, so he continued to stroke her face, hoping it would calm her. 

Soledad's shoulders hunched and she brought her hands to the Jacob's, gripping it tightly. She flinched as if she was being hit by something a few times and opened her mouth to release a few whimpers,

"_Ay Dios…_" She whispered in a scared tone. "Fix him, _Dios_, _fix him_!" She spoke in a higher pitch and a little louder than before. "I'll take you to Hogwarts, let me take care of him, I'll take you there…" 

Jacob's heart dropped into his stomach as he remembered her saying those exact words; Soledad was reliving the accident in the Shrieking Shack. He wanted to wake her up to make her stop seeing all of the horrible images, but that would only hurt her, as Madame Pomfrey once told him.

"He's dying, _ay Dios_, he's probably dead…_don't touch me_!" She shrieked, thrashing her arms suddenly. Jacob took a blow in the chest, but it was the shock of it that hurt, not the actually punch. He stood up and grabbed her arms, so she wouldn't cause any damage to herself. 

"It's not real…" He said in a soothing voice. "It's over…he's gone…" 

"_No sea muerto...él parece muerto_..." She whispered, as tears leaked from her closed eyes. Jacob wiped them away and moved her over slightly, so he could sit on the bed next to her.

"_Muerto…_dead…" He said softly, continuing to wipe her tears. "No Solely, I'm not dead…I'm right here…"

Soledad's eyes fluttered open and they seemed to be out of focus. She shook her head vigorously, a huge grimace on her face. Her tears fell more freely now, and she sobbed, wiping at her eyes. Sitting up, looked around the room, and continued to cry uncontrollably.

"I'm not dead." Jacob whispered, taking her head in his hands. He wasn't sure if she was still asleep, but he couldn't bear to see her like this without helping her. 

Soledad's eyes finally focused upon him, as if she was literally scared of him. But then…a very sad smile slid on her face, and she threw herself into him, burying her face into his chest. Jacob's arms were quickly around her, and he rocked her back and forth, as she cried into him. With a soothing voice, he was able to put her to sleep,

"I'm not dead…I'm here…"

Anthony entered his house as quickly as he could, knowing that his family was definitely sleeping. He couldn't wait until he had his own apartment, and hopefully, that would be soon. Jacob had slipped house ads for him under his door during the past week, and there were plenty of jobs waiting for him, he just needed to get to work on it. He would figure everything out, once he solved the problem with Taylor. And, with a determined sigh, Anthony was sure he was going to _at least _settle their situation for good.

Lighting his wand instead of turning on some lights in fear of waking his family, Anthony found his cat, Marauder, sitting patiently on the bottom set of stairs that led up to his room. He reached down to scratch the gray cat on its head, but he retracted his hand back quickly because Marauder hissed at him.

"What's wrong?" Anthony whispered, bending down to look into his cat's piercing blue eyes. Marauder hissed again and bent down as if to pounce on him, "I just want to go upstairs!" He said quickly, growing angry at the cat that remained in a fighting stance. At his words, Marauder struck out his paw with lightening speed, swiping Anthony across the cheek, his claws scratching the skin. 

Too shocked to make a noise, Anthony fell back, and watched with wide eyes as Marauder paced back and forth on the bottom step like a watch guard. The red head held his hand to his cheek (he felt the blood dripping down his hand and onto his arm) and stared at his cat with disbelief.

As he was getting ready to stand up, thinking he would have to stun his cat to get to his room, a green glow lit up their library, flickering in the darkness. Anthony stiffened, wondering what was causing the light. Sending Marauder one final look of anger, he headed towards the library, his wand in his free hand. 

"Hullo?" A deep voice called from the other end of the room, and Anthony relaxed realizing that someone was speaking through the fire. Regaining his composure, he walked past the table centered in the room and a couple of armchairs (the family's library was a very comfortable place). 

"Hold on, I'm here." He said, hoping that the person wouldn't leave. It must have been urgent if the person was calling in the middle of the night. 

The head in the fire was looking frantically around as if they were worried about being caught, and Anthony immediately sat in the chair that was strategically placed for this form of communication.

"Hullo?" Anthony called. The head snapped towards him quickly, a huge grin plastered on his face. The redhead pushed himself far back into the chair, completely amazed by the person in the fire. He hadn't seen him in over a year, and the fact that _he _was in the _Weasley_ household…it was a bit of a shock. "Malcolm!" He exclaimed, sliding off the seat and onto his knees to get closer to the fire. 

Malcolm Malfoy smiled brightly and waved softly towards Anthony, pushing his shoulder length blonde hair out of his face. He and the redhead had become good friends after the incident, though it was harder for the rest of the Weasleys to fully trust him. Anthony knew though, that Malcolm was as innocent as Taylor was, and that was enough for him.

"Hullo Anthony, just the man I was looking for! I was afraid I would cause too much noise; you have a baby sister, don't you? Your mum would have my head!" He chuckled softly, and Anthony found it quite ironic. He wondered if his father would ever believe that a Malfoy would be apologizing for interrupting a Weasley's sleep.

"Why were you looking for me?" Anthony asked with clear confusion. "We haven't spoken in over a year!" 

Malcolm nodded solemnly, checking behind him again, and Anthony wondered what he looking out for. 

"Well, I'm sure _you've _noticed the disappearance of Taylor Parkinson." 

  
The redhead's mouth dropped and he was hit with a huge revelation: Malcolm was the only family besides her mother that Taylor could have run to!

"Oh _Merlin_, Malcolm! Is she with you?" He cried out, pressing his hand harder against his still bleeding cheek. Malcolm nodded, his eyes darting to a noise that was heard in the background.

"Yes, she's been with me since the day after graduation, just showed up that night hysterical and crying," Anthony grimaced at the image as Malcolm continued. "She told me that she needed some time to think and to not reveal her location to anyone who asked, but…" He looked very concerned with his narrowed eyes, "Anthony, I'm rather sure something's wrong with her now, one of my elves (Anthony smiled inwardly at the fact that his mother had been successful in her S.P.E.W. movement) came up to me just now and said that she t had requested some sharp objects for Merlin knows what!" 

Anthony's heart plummeted at the thought of Taylor hurting herself, and he stood up immediately, grabbing the pot of Floo Powder his family had on the mantle of the fireplace,

"What's your house name? I'm coming right now." He said with a voice he normally used as Head Boy. Malcolm smiled an odd smile in the green of the fire,

"I was about to suggest that, too complicated to give coordinates. It's called 'Birnam Wood.' See you in a bit." 

The redhead shuddered slightly as the fire diminished to ashes. He took a handful of Floo Powder and placed the can back on the mantle. He hoped that the cut on his face had stopped bleeding; he would fix it up when he had the time. 

He had just stepped into the fireplace and put his hand in front of him, when he heard a quiet meowing. Marauder was standing by the seat he was just in, looking rather meek. Anthony smiled softly, realizing that his cat had kept him from going upstairs for a reason,

"Thanks, I'll make sure to get you some extra treats, alright?" The cat meowed as if in response, and then slunk away into the darkness. 

Taking a deep breath, Anthony threw down the Floo Powder and shouted,

"BIRNAM WOOD!" 


	24. Love Has Many Faces

**Long ass A/N- Haha, I didn't die, and yes, if you are coming back from the LAST chapter, or reading from the very beginning (aw, you're great!) this chapter has been updated and changed. Before you read the last couple of chapters READ THIS A/N! **

**See, me, being the idiot I am, wrote the last few chapters as if I wasn't going to post them on FF.net **

**::falls over and wants to die::**

**Let me explain…**

**I, being the perfectionist (perfectionist, idiot, same thing) I am, decided to revamp this story before shipping it off to FictionAlley.org (I finally racked enough Gryffindor courage to do it). Throughout this entire story were grammatical errors that made me want to smack myself (me being the English buff I am), so I decided to edit…THE ENTIRE THING! When this story is posted on Fiction Alley (SCHNOOGLE!) there will be new scenes added throughout and…it will follow OoTP.**

**::pause for a bit of a spoiler alert:: **

**Yes, the Blacks are gone, out of my story… ::sigh::**

**::dodges tomatoes::**

**I'm _so _sorry! I loved Sirius _so_ much, that every time I wrote about one of his kids, I wanted to cry. So…in the new version, Harry and Remus (he better make it throughout book 7 or I will die along side him…) will have children named for Sirius, but not exactly (hehe). From this chapter on, Orion Black will be known as Ewan Finnegan ::dodges more tomatoes:: and Cassie Black now goes as Caitlyn Finnegan. They are still the same characters, just different names and hair colors.  **

**Oh, and Rigel (formally known as James Lupin) isn't going out w/ Rose (formally known as Lilly) because of some stuff I changed, he's actually going out w/ a Weasley (you'll find out who in the new version, not a big character). Er…another character change is Alexis Diggory, who COMPLETELY changes, cause I f'd up the graduation and forgot to add her…so her name is Jocelyn Grief, and she was a bit of a bitch to Soledad because she knew a secret of hers, and Jacob saved her in the fourth year…yeah.  **

**I will post the Epilogue once the first chapter is up on Schnoogle, and I will leave a link so that all the fans who've read this story from the beginning (don't think I've forgotten you!) will have a chance to read the new scenes, which I'm SURE they'll love. **

**So the next three or so chapters are following all of the stuff I just said, because I really don't want to change _all _of the chapters, as that would just confuse everyone who's been following the lives of the new Weasley twins. **

**As a gift, I'm posting three chapters in less than half an hour! Two brand spanking new ones **_(this one had a VERY IMPORTANT EDIT DURING THE SOLEDAD/JACOB LEAKY CAULDRON SCENE!)_****

**Okay, enough talking. This is an important chapter, as it is leading up to the end. ::tears::******

**Weasley's The Name: Post Hogwarts**

Without Love (Life's like a week with only Mondays)

Within seconds, he stood in a very modest living room, Malcolm standing in the entranceway. It consisted of the basic pieces of furniture and didn't have the flair the Malfoys were famous for. Anthony wondered for a brief second if this was another way for the youngest Malfoy boy to rebel; befriending a Weasley was the first. 

"Come on, she's upstairs," Malcolm said, not waiting to greet Anthony. The redhead followed him down a narrow hallway that was lined with tables with picture frames sitting upon them. He noticed that the house seemed to be covered with pictures, and hoped he would be able to examine them one day. 

The staircase ran parallel to the hallway, and Malcolm stopped abruptly in front of it, almost causing Anthony to run into him. 

"It's the first door on your right, if we both go up, she'll notice the two sets of footsteps. I don't want to worry her anymore than she already is." 

"How does she look? Is she sick?" Anthony asked quietly. Malcolm shrugged,

"She's still the prettiest girl I know," he answered simply. The redhead smiled softly and began up the stairs, controlling his breaths as he gripped the railing with a strong fist. Malcolm disappeared from the bottom of the staircase, and without the comfort of someone being there to catch him, he felt rather nervous.

Would she scream at him? Would she even want him there? She hadn't bothered to contact him; maybe she wasn't ready? He had seen Taylor angry, but never with him, and he truly did not want to feel her wrath. But he had to, because he wanted to see her, he _needed _to see her.     

Quickly, he rapped a few knocks on her door. 

"Come in," a small voice answered. It pained Anthony to hear her voice so weak and fragile. He had really done it, he had really hurt her to the point where she had lost her spark, the spark that he had always admired and loved. 

He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open as slowly as possible. Peering in, he noticed that the room was fairly neat, the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in at all, and the curtains were shut tightly.

The only light that came from the room was the one from the fireplace in front of the bed, and sitting on the edge with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders was Taylor. 

She stared into the fire with what looked like a very glossy eyes. He examined her profile and noticed she was slouching under the yellow blanket. Her hair was up in a bun at the top of her head being held by a single stick (and probably some magic because Anthony could not imagine all of her hair being held by that puny stick). 

Building up courage, he fully entered the room, shutting the door behind him and then leaning against it. Taylor made no effort to move at his entrance, and Anthony wasn't even sure if she had seen him come in. 

"I'm not hungry, if that's why you're--" She had turned and she had spotted him. Her crystal eyes widened to the size of Quaffles and her mouth hung open slightly. Anthony sent her a weak smile and noticed a blush creep onto her cheeks.

"Hi," he said quietly, taking a step forward. Taylor stood up, with the blanket still on her shoulders and her hands gripping the edge of it tightly. She wore simply a large gray shirt that reached the middle of her thighs; Anthony's blush could not be suppressed. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice cracking. Anthony made sure to keep his eyes locked onto hers, but the stare she was sending him made it very difficult. It was as if he was the last person she would've seen that day, and the completely bewildered look had Anthony feeling very unwanted.

"I've been looking for you," he said as quietly as he had before. "I've looked everywhere, and I've sent you letters…" His eyes drifted towards the dresser beneath the window; he saw a pile of parchment in a neat pyramid. 

"I know," Taylor barely whispered. She darted her eyes away from his, crossing her arms across her chest. "I had hoped you would find me." 

Anthony's heart began to beat faster at her words, knowing that she didn't mind him being in the room.

"I didn't exactly find you…Malcolm called me through the fire connection." 

Taylor's head snapped back up quickly, and she eyed him with suspicion.

"Why? Why did he do that?" she asked with a strained voice. Anthony took a few more steps towards her and noticed that she wasn't backing away. 

"He said that you had requested some sharp objects…he thought you might be hurting yourself."

Her eyes glossed over and she bit her bottom lip to hold back a sob. Anthony felt tears swell in his eyes as well; she _had, she had been hurting herself because of this…_

"I'm so sorry," they said at the same time, causing each other to look into their eyes. "What?" They said in unison again. Anthony saw a small smile crack onto her face, but it quickly disappeared as Taylor leaned closer to hear his explanation. He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry for what I said…" he began. "I barely know your mother, and it was just a stupid comment I had heard my father say. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Taylor. I'm willing to have a talk with your mother, my _parents _are willing to talk to your mother, so we can live in peace." He smiled weakly at her. "You know how stupid I get with you, I can't bear letting someone hurt you. That's why I said what I did.

"And I know I hurt you, it's all I've been thinking about since the party. Tore my mind and room apart thinking about all the pain I brought to you, and I worried myself sick wondering where you were…I'm glad you have a great brother like Malcolm. 

"You don't have to forgive me, you don't have to take me back…I understand that. If I were you, I wouldn't even be _speaking to me. Just know…that I love you so much, and hurting you was the stupidest thing I've ever done."   _

His eyes never deterred from hers as he spoke these words, and he hoped that she realized how true every single thing he said was. Anthony bit his tongue, his eyes stinging, as he waited for her answer. 

Taylor stared at him with a very curious look, almost as if she was examining his eyes, but he knew that she was checking for any flicker of lie. 

"You promise to talk to her?" she asked gently, letting her eyes drop to the floor. Anthony nodded, bending down to catch her gaze.

"My father promised he would be good, cause he likes you a lot, says you remind him of my mum." 

He watched as smile crept onto her face, and she looked away, trying to hold it back. Taylor stared at the fire for a few moments before releasing a sigh. 

"I've missed you," she said simply, looking back at him. Anthony grinned so widely that the expression caused tears to slip out of his eyes. Taylor immediately reached up and wiped them away, her hand lingering on his cheek.

His eyes fluttered closed at her touch; he couldn't believe how much he had missed her delicate fingers. Almost automatically, his hand found her waist and he pulled her close, enjoying the heat that was dissipating out of her. He felt a slender finger run across his fresh cut.

"You're hurt." 

Anthony shrugged, opening his eyes to see tears falling freely down her cheeks. 

"Marauder felt like sharpening his claws." A giggle escaped her lips as she traced the cut again, blinking her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. 

"I can fix that, it's a simple charm, really…" She turned slightly ready to go for her wand, but Anthony caught her gently by the shoulder. She looked back at him with a timid smile on her face.

"No, it's okay," he barely breathed. Taylor began to breath heavier as the space between them diminished rapidly. Their faces were inches apart and Anthony looked over her as if he was staring at her for the first time. 

Her eyes were red from the tears she had shed in the past week and her nose was the same shade. Her lips trembled as they neared his and her cheeks were a bright rosy color, which made his stomach flip.

She leaned in for a kiss, but shivered as Anthony took her left hand and bent down on one knee. A true smile spread across her face now, and even with tears streaming down her cheeks, she stared at him with a look of utmost love.

"Taylor Parkinson, will you marry me?" He pulled out the ring she had left, staring straight into her light blue eyes. 

"Yes," she answered, falling down to her knees in front of him. As he placed the ring on her finger again, her sobs became much harder, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. 

"I've been so alone this past week, it's the worst feeling I've ever felt. I thought I lost you, I thought I lost my mother, I thought I lost everything!" she cried and Anthony held her tightly around the waist. 

"You'll _never _lose me," he whispered in her ear. He felt her nod against his shoulder and he rubbed an assuring hand on her back, trying to settle her tears. "Come on, you need some sleep."

"No, no, I have to show you something," she croaked, sniffling. He let go of her slightly to look into her tear stained face. 

Taylor released a few heavy breaths, and then reached up to grab the puny stick from her hair. Shutting her eyes, she pulled the stick out, letting her locks fall from the bun. 

Anthony's eyes widened as her hair barely reached her shoulders, cut in a very crooked fashion. Her golden tresses that once reached far down her back were now gone. Taylor's shoulders shook with each sob, and she covered her face with her hands. 

"The sharp object," she hiccupped. "Was a pair of scissors, a charm would've cut too neat." Taylor clenched her fists in front of her eyes. "You loved my hair so much, and when I thought we were over…" She began to cry harder and Anthony pulled her into his chest, rocking her softly.

"I _still _love your hair," he murmured, kissing the top of her head and combing his hand through her hair. "I'd love you hair if you had died it purple and put it into a Mohawk." His joke got a strangled laugh from her, and he looked down at her face. Taylor's eyes were red with tears, but she still smiled up at him. 

"I have to fix it," she mumbled, taking a lock of it in her hand and grimacing at it. Anthony sighed softly and cupped her face with both of his large hands, almost covering it completely. 

"You're beautiful." 

Taylor kissed him softly after he spoke his words, grabbing his hands and squeezing them tightly. She stood up then, bringing him with her, and traveled to the bed, where she crawled from the end to the head, patting some pillows down. Anthony stood stiff at the end of the bed, and watched as Taylor sat down on the right side with her legs under her. All she had to do was smile, and he knew that she wanted to spend the night with him. 

He walked around the side and flipped off his sandals, taking a deep breath. Taylor continued to watch him as he clambered on next to her, and he eyed her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to approve him. She flipped her wand from under her pillow and dimmed the fire to a very low simmer, giving them enough light to see five inches in front of their faces.

A sly smile fell on her face, and she pulled him closer by his collar. Anthony's face heated up greatly, but he leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. He crept closer to her and realized that she had started to unbutton his shirt. He didn't stop her. 

Soledad woke with fresh sunrays streaming onto her face. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her shoulders as she did every morning, until she realized she was not in her house.

The curly haired girl sat up abruptly, blinking furiously in the new morning light. The room was very plain with its white walls and blue curtains (which were open and letting the sun shine through). It contained little furniture; the mirror and dresser set seated in front of the bed, the pair of chairs in the upper left hand corner, and a nightstand right by her side of the bed. 

Looking down at herself, she noticed that she was wearing a pair of pajamas that she owned, but with her face burning red, she knew that she did not remember changing into them. It was then that someone else moved the bed.

She squeaked softly and pulled the blanket up to her neck, and gazed over the sleeping body of what had to be Jacob Weasley (his curly red hair clearly proved that fact). Her hazel eyes widened, but her shoulders slumped as she relaxed. 

_We must be in the Leaky Cauldron_. She thought as she took another look around the room. Soledad realized that his body was on top of the blanket she was under, and smiled softly at the sweetness of his gesture. _He knew I would've hurt him if I found him otherwise. _

She watched as he rolled from his side to his back, still very asleep, his bare chest rising and falling in steady beats (he wore simply a pair of red shorts). He had a small smile plastered on his face, and Soledad had to admit, he was very cute when he slept. He looked innocent…something that Jacob was _far _from. 

_I guess this is what it's like…waking up with the one you love…but he's not up yet. This is nice, I could get used to this. Marido y esposa._

Taking advantage of the situation, she wiggled out from under the covers and slowly made her way over to him. She stopped when her chin rested on his shoulder, and carefully she wrapped one of her legs around his. 

Jacob seemed to notice the other body on top of him, and his eyes blinked open. He released a roar of a yawn and turned slightly to look at her, a sleepy grin on his face.

"Hullo," he said, leaning towards her to kiss her gently. When they parted he sighed loudly and swung an arm around her, pulling her tightly to his side. "What a nice thing to see in the morning."   
  


"Just what I was thinking," she said earnestly, kissing his cheek. "What happened last night? _Tú madre dijo usted era fuera con Anthony_." 

Soledad didn't bother translating for two reasons: one, because Jacob had told her not to, that he was going to try and learn as much as he could, especially with his new charm, and two, because she was a bit annoyed that he had been gone all day without telling her where he was.

"Just some beach," he answered calmly, nuzzling his nose into the side of her neck, making her momentarily forget that she was put off with him. She took his head in her hands and pulled him away from her, to get her mind straight. Her hazel eyes bore into his baby blues,

"No girls?" she asked, watching for any signs of fear.

"No girls," he answered without hesitation. With a smile, Soledad kissed his nose, and then his lips, initiating a very long and peaceful 'together' time for the couple. 

They paused for a breath, Jacob on the other side of the bed and Soledad's hair frizzy and all over the pillows. His arm was draped across her stomach, and his cheek lying on her shoulder, enjoying the calm they seemed to bring to each other. 

Where would he be if he hadn't interrupted Jocelyn's little tirade against Soledad? Jacob still couldn't believe that his Solely, the woman who made him laugh so much and feel so loved could have been the meek little girl with a deep dark—

"Secret?" he said aloud into her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Soledad mumbled; she had been ready to drift off again. Jacob, pushing his hands down into the bed on either side of her, looked down at her face with questioning eyes. 

"You know what I just realized?" he said, tilting his head to examine her. Soledad grew nervous under his interrogating eyes, and she shrugged, hoping it wasn't something awful. "You never told me your secret." 

She seemed to be relieved, and she nodded softly as Jacob helped her sit up, his hands remaining on her arms. He looked honestly interested, and Soledad, gathering up all of her Gryffindor courage, knew that she could tell him.

"You have to promise not to laugh. _¿Promete?_" 

Jacob stared at her with determined eyes, as if he was solving a difficult Arthimancy problem.

"_Prometo_," he answered with a smile, very proud of himself. Soledad giggled and kissed his lips softly, then pulling away with her eyes tightly shut. Jacob watched as the grimace remained on her face and suddenly, her brown curls were gone and long silvery locks replaced them. 

He gasped, jumping back and watching as she giggled, tossing her hair over her shoulders.

"You're really _blonde_?" he choked, putting a hand to his chest to calm his breaths. Her laughter increased a tenfold and she shook her head, putting a hand out for him. Jacob took it cautiously, letting her pull him to her side. It was odd to see her face with such…_Taylor _hair.  

"_iTonto!_ I'm a Metamorphmagus!" Her hair began to curl and darken, and with in seconds it was back to the way Jacob was used to. His blue eyes stared at her with amazement, and Soledad squirmed under his gaze. "Jocelyn found out, and I didn't want to deal with everyone bothering me…"

"It's bloody brilliant," Jacob said softly, taking a lock of her hair between his fingers. Soledad blushed deeply. "You were born like this?"

She shook her head, 

"No, I've been training since I was about five, it's something my Mama decided for me." Her face flushed as she continued, looking somewhat embarrassed. "She comes from a very prestigious family, and to keep the pride alive, let's say, each of her children had to have some amazing ability. 

"Joaquin was first, and of course, he's the star Seeker for the Cannons (Jacob grinned at this). My sister Marisel is an Animagus, she can turn into a fox, and my little brother is learning different languages."

"Alonso? What can he speak?" Jacob inched closer to her, interested in the facts about her family that he didn't know.  Soledad nodded, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

"Er…English, contrary to his native Spanish, French, German, Gobbledegook, Russian, and he _loves_ driving us _loco_ _con_ Mermish." 

Jacob leaned back into the pillows, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Damn, what a family I'll be getting into," he whispered, squeezing her hand. She blushed furiously and leaned towards him ready to start their 'together' time again, when a loud banging on the door made them jump apart. 

"JACOB! WAKE UP! HAVE YOU SEEN THE PROPHET?" Brian's voice bellowed from the hallway. The two on the bed shared a confused look, and Jacob flung himself out of the bed and swung open the door to let his cousin in.

Brian strode in, wearing only his green shorts, waving around the Daily Prophet madly. Sarah came in behind him, looking both ecstatically happy and immensely embarrassed at the same time. Tom was peeking in behind her, grinning a toothless grin.

"What is it, you maniac?" Jacob asked, reaching for the paper, but Brian held it to his chest. He jumped on a chair so that everyone could see him. He put the paper out in front of him as if reading a speech, and cleared his throat. The green-eyed boy looked ready to give a graduation speech, his body jittering with excitement. 

"From the desk of the Director of the International Association of Quidditch. It is my honor to announce this year's top twenty draft picks for the European Quidditch League." 

Brian peered over the top of the paper to see that Jacob's face had lost all color as he stared at her with disbelief. Soledad jumped off the bed and grabbed her boyfriend's arm while Sarah stood by, giggling madly.

"Undercover scouts have been attending Quidditch matches at various schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry and they have narrowed down the number of many successful young Quidditch stars to a mere one hundred. The players were not notified of such activities, to make sure that their studies were completed without any interruption. 

"The draft picks will be invited to attend a summer training camp, and from there, they will have the opportunity to join one of the many leagues on the European continent. Positions for all one hundred aren't promised, but the following twenty are the most probable candidates for next year's season."

"And?" Jacob asked, his voice high and cracking. He slowly stood up and continued to stare at Brian with wide eyes. 

"Well, I'm number twelve on the list, and Daniel Martin's number sixteen," he said in a teasing voice. "I've highlighted the names of Hogwarts students, there are five on here, pretty good, huh? Madame Hooch must be proud." 

Jacob cracked a sly smile and stepped closer to him, pushing himself on his tiptoes to try and peer over the edge of the paper. Before he could find the list of names, Brian pulled the paper to her chest, so he couldn't. 

"I'm on there, aren't I?" he whispered, though everyone could sense the excitement growing. Brian nodded, and Jacob's grin grew wider, "Where? What number? Oy, I bet Daniel beat me, didn't he? He was Captain longer than I was…" 

Soledad rolled her eyes at Jacob's concern and looked up at Brian for the answer. 

"Hmm…let me see here…" his eyes scanned up and down the paper, and Jacob bit his tongue in anticipation. "Ah, here you go." Brian grinned wildly, pushing the paper in front of Jacob's face. "_Jake, you're number __one! You're the _number one_ draft pick!" _

Jacob snatched the paper out of his cousin's hands, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. His heart was pounding at a remarkable speed, and as his eyes scanned the list, he began to laugh with pure excitement. 

"_Merlin_!" he screamed, grabbing Brian's shoulders and pulling him into a fierce hug "I'm number one!" 

Jacob jumped up and pumped his arms in victory. Brian and Sarah had begun to dance to silent music (Sarah was beat red but she seemed to be enjoying herself), and Tom was clapping. A few other guests were peering into the room to see what the excitement was. 

"Come here, come on," Jacob put his hand out to her. As soon as she grasped his hand, Jacob pulled her into an extremely tight hug around the waist, and lifted her up, spinning her around as he laughed happily.   _   _

Tom ushered the other guests away, and Brian and Sarah waltzed across the hall to their room. With another round of applause, the old barkeep shut the door, leaving the couple alone.

When they stopped spinning, Jacob kept Soledad in his grip, her legs tightly wrapped around his waist. She placed kisses on his nose and Jacob wiggled it in response.

"I'm so happy for you," she whispered, leaning her forehead on his. They batted their noses together and Jacob sighed softly onto her lips.

"There's only one thing that could top this," he said, darting his eyes from her mouth to her lips. Soledad blushed immediately, but she felt brave and tilted her head in a questioning manner.

"And what might that be?" she asked softly, hoping it would be very fun for the two of them. Jacob closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

"Marry me," he said quickly. Soledad's eyes widened, and she leaned back in his arms.

"What did you say?" she asked just as quickly. Jacob grinned and kissed her, walking across the room to the window, still with her in his arms. 

It amazed him in so many ways how she could look so angelic in the streaming rays of the sun. They shot through her curls in perfect places, making her face glow with such radiance that Jacob was sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her,

"I said, marry me. That's the only thing that could top this." 

A million thoughts raced through her mind as she stared into the blue eyes of Jacob Weasley. She began to see their wedding, their house, and their family. With her mouth gaping open, she nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. 

Jacob released of 'whoop' of happiness, and the two bounced around the room, Soledad's hold on Jacob's neck tightening so she wouldn't fall off. 

He kissed her and they fell back onto the bed, Soledad landing rather oddly on top of him. Jacob didn't seem to mind though; he leaned up and kissed her again, his eyes shining, 

"I love you _so much_. This is the best day of my life," he said in a very seductive voice. Soledad smiled, and a spark blew off in her head, something that hadn't happened before. An idea had settled right in front of her eyes as she stared at the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. 

"Jacob…" she said softly, slipping off of his lap to sit by his side. He sat up, looking nervous at the apprehensive look on her face.

"What? What happened?" He put his hands onto her forearms, running them reassuringly up and down. Soledad smiled at the gesture, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Let's do it now." 

His face flushed faster than a Snitch disappears. Jacob's eyes were wide with what seemed like fright and excitement. It was then that Soledad realized what he had interpreted her statement as.

"Oh, _no!_ Not _that_!" she giggled, hitting his thigh. His blush deepened with embarrassment, and nodded.

"What did you mean then?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit strained. Soledad took his cheeks in her hands, examining his face. She had always loved his high cheekbones and long nose, and now that she was his forever…

"Let's get _married_ now." 

His mouth dropped open and an eerie silence filled the room. He looked to be stupefied. Soledad tilted her head, tapping his cheek softly with concern. 

"Jacob?"

"Yes." 

He nodded his head vigorously, leaning forward and catching her in one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared. When they broke apart, he stared at her with an oozing amount of desire. "We're going to get _married_!"

"We're getting married!" she repeated, kissing his lips again and making him laugh and grab her around the waist. 

Soledad giggled happily into his lips, and the two fell back onto the bed, laughing madly at the trek they were about to set foot on. 

Emily Weasley sat at her kitchen table with her face in her hands and her elbows on the table. She eyed the open window patiently and tapped her foot with remarkable speed. The post was never late, and the redhead knew that it was pointless to wish that it would come earlier, but she did nonetheless, because she was excited. 

She hadn't received a letter from Ewan for almost four days now, and it was starting to frustrate the almost fifteen-year old. Her birthday was in a few days, the twenty-seventh of June, and she had invited Ewan and some others for a celebration. Emily feared that now that they were 'seeing' each other, he had lost all his courage to face her brothers and father (her mother and Delaney loved him). 

Of course, she was a little worried herself. Emily had only revealed to her mother about her relationship with Ewan, and her mother had told her that _she _would tell her father about it. Apparently, Hermione Granger-Weasley hadn't. She told Emily that Ron had gone on talking about "how his little girl is growing up so fast," and that he wasn't talking about Delaney. 

She eyed the clock and counted down the seconds until noon,

"Three…two…one…" 

Perfectly on time, Pigwidgeon and Chudlina swooped in, along with a large black owl, making Emily's cheeks blush furiously. Ewan had responded. 

Snatching the letter the black owl held almost hastily (she had to give it some treats to make up for it), she ripped it open and plopped into a seat. Pigwidgeon and Chudlina dropped their letters in the center of the table and fluttered over to their perch, hooting indignantly because she had ignored them.

Emily hoped that no one popped into the kitchen at that moment, although she knew that her mother and little sister wouldn't be back until later that day, and her father was working on some important project for the Ministry. The twins hadn't returned from their trip yesterday, so she prayed that they didn't decided on that moment to barge in. 

The tips of her ears burned red as she began to read the letter,

"_Dear Emmy_ (she giggled at this; he was the only one to still call her by this old nickname)_, _

_          I'm terribly sorry about not answering your letter earlier, it's been a bit hectic around here (all four kids are home and Mum's going crazy, cause Dad is just as wild as the others are. It's hard to be the only sane one out of four very rambunctious siblings). Mum's had me running around the house with a million things to do because of this party Dad is holding. Quite annoying. You'll be receiving the invitation for that soon.  _

_          Anyway, I would love to attend your party; you know I wouldn't miss it! Thing is, does your family know about us? I don't want to spring it on them…your dad does have quite a temper, doesn't he? I hope he likes me, I don't know what I can do to impress him though…My family knows about you, Kevin spilled it with that big mouth of his, cause he found one of your letters (no, he didn't read anything important). Dad took it upon himself to give me "THE TALK" and I still can't look at him without shuddering. _

_          I miss you so much! My heart is constantly longing to see you, and I can't wait for your birthday (I still have to find a gift for you…hard stuff, that is). You think we'll be able to spend some time alone? Not like_ that_, I mean, unless you want to, but I don't think you would, I just need to be able to talk to you face to face. Oy, I'm blushing madly over here, feel like such a prat, hope Cassie doesn't barge in here. _

_          Okay, I have to go, my older brother Aiden is screaming that something is burning, and I fear it's those biscuits Mum told me to watch…_

_                                                                                      Love, _

_                                                                                                Ewan_

_P.S. Is it okay if I sign it like that? _

Emily squealed rather loudly at the end of the letter, her face blushing furiously. He was just _so cute _sometimes; it was amazing how relaxed and calm he was compared to his three siblings. 

Caitlyn, as she'd proved in the past year, was the most aggressive of the four. Her mood swings were infamous around the halls of Hogwarts. Aiden was the oldest; he graduated Hogwarts five years ago and is now a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. Kevin was the youngest, he would be starting Hogwarts next year, and from what Emily remembered from gatherings and parties, the little boy was very mischievous. He had once turned Ewan's hair a light blue color, to match his eyes.  

She sighed as she remembered the glint in Ewan's eyes. His baby blues were such a different color from hers. They were light and full of questions while hers were dark and ready for adventure. Emily wondered if the girls back in his father's time swooned over those eyes as much as they do with Ewan's. 

He was probably the most sought after boy in their year, not that he realized it of course. He preferred to stay in a close-knit group then gallivant around the school making trouble and breaking girls hearts.

Folding the letter neatly and placing it in her pants pocket, Emily reached for the pile of mail the family owls dropped off, and she picked up _The Daily Prophet _first. 

On the cover was some boring story about the Goblins in Gringotts (she read it anyway incase Ewan's brother was mention--he wasn't). She didn't know why she was flipping through the paper; she normally didn't read it, much to her mother's dismay. 

Emily headed for the sports section, knowing that that might be of some interest to her father and brother, so maybe she could get into a conversation with them by knowing all these facts…

"Oh!" she gasped, dropping the paper to the table. Under the heading of the Sports section was a picture of Jacob blocking numerous Quaffles in one of his Quidditch games. Emily scanned through the article with little squeaks of glee as she realized what was going on. Jacob was going professional! 

"Oh _Merlin_!" she screamed, jumping up and down excitedly. "_Merlin!" _

Emily raced towards the living room, hoping to find one of her immediate family through the fire connection. Where were they all? Mum was at the Healer with Delaney…no, she couldn't interrupt that…Dad was at work…probably not working, but who knows…Anthony probably won't want to talk to anyone if he's disappeared like this…Jacob…

"ARGH!" she roared in frustration. Emily plopped down onto the floor in front of the fire in a very annoyed fashion. She supposed that Jacob already knew, but wouldn't he come home to tell everyone? 

"Probably off with Soledad, that's where they went, I bet…" Emily mumbled, crossing her arms and leaning back onto a chair. With this grand news, you would think that Jacob would have rushed home to tell his family, the family that's loved him and taken care of him for his entire life! 

Marauder slunk into the library, meowing softly and rubbing against Emily's thigh. She pulled the cat onto her lap and rubbed his back as he curled up into her. The cat stretched out one of its legs and Emily was surprised to see that his claws were stained with red blood. She shook her head at the cat; he was known to catch the gnomes in the backyard. 

"My little Marauder," she said in a singsong voice, snuggling him close. As Marauder purred, a green fire erupted in the fireplace, and a whole lot of chatter came bustling out of it.

"_Oy_! Weasley!" a very familiar voice shouted. Emily's eyes widened in delight as she realized whose head was in the fire,

"Seamus!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly and pushing Marauder off of her lap so she could sit in the chair. Seamus Finnegan looked up at her with bright eyes and waved,

"Why _hello _Miss. _Emily_! How are _you today?" he said this in a very loud and exaggerated voice, and the redhead blushed furiously; she knew he was trying to catch Ewan's attention. _

"I'm fine, thanks, so what are you calling for? Haven't heard from you in a while!" 

Seamus chuckled softly and combed his hand through his shaggy sandy hair. 

"Ah, well, I just picked up the Sports section of_ The Prophet _and lo and behold, there's a picture one of my favorite redheads swatting at Quaffles! Wanted to congratulate him." 

Emily clapped her hands excitedly,

"Yes! I just read that too! I was about to go and search for him through the fire network, but there's no point, seeing as I have _no_ idea where he _could be." She huffed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, tossing her hair about, _

"_Neither _of the twins came home last night. Just because they're out of school _doesn't mean that they can go paint the town red without telling anyone where they are! They __still live here, in case you didn't know!" _

Seamus just chuckled at her little rant, and her ears burned slightly at his voice,

"Sound a bit like your mother, don't you, Em?" He turned his head to look at something out of view, "You better watch out, you've seen how her mother is with Ron." 

"_DAD!_" she heard Ewan's voice scream. Her blush engulfed her face as she realized that Ewan had been standing by listening to the conversation. Seamus' face disappeared and Ewan's took his place, and even in the green of the fire, she could tell he was blushing. 

"Hi Emmy," he said softly, rubbing the back of his neck. She waved softly, unconsciously patting down her hair with the other. _Oh Merlin, I look like a wreck! _"Excited about Jake?"

"Oh, very!" she choked out, hoping her voice didn't fail her. It was so nice to see him; she had no idea why she hadn't thought of talking to him this way before. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't been alone in the house since school ended. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, exhausted, but fine." He looked down towards his feet, biting his lip. "Funny, I've been dying to talk to you, and now I have nothing to say."

Emily smiled softly and leaned towards the fire,

"It's all right, I'll see you in a few days, we'll have stuff to talk about then." 

Ewan's eyes widened and he seem to be holding back a scream.

"Oh…so…you got my letter," he choked out. Emily nodded enthusiastically, and then, she realized why he looked so scared.

"Yes, I just read it a few moments ago." She winked at him, hoping he would see it. "It's alright if you sign it like that." 

He smiled brightly and then looked as if he didn't know what else to say,

"So where are you going?" he blurted, biting his tongue. Emily stared at him oddly, looking down at her jeans and t-shirt.

"Er…no where, why?" She thought Ewan's face was going to explode from the heat it seemed to have gained.

"Oh, er, it's just that youlooksonice I thought you were going out," he mumbled, smiling shyly. 

Emily opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she just sent him a very wide smile, an odd feeling in her eyes. 

"Thanks." She answered softly. 

Ewan smiled, and at that moment, a large chorus was heard from behind him,

"_AWWWWWWW_!" His sandy hair flipped in front of him and he stared angrily at what must've been his family.

"_Stop listening_!" he said through gritted teeth, though Emily knew that once they disconnected he would be screaming. Ewan turned back to her and shrugged softly, clearly embarrassed by his family. "I'll try to write a longer letter next time, okay?"

Emily's heart raced at the prospect of another letter from him, and she nodded enthusiastically,

"Great! Er…I'll start writing my response right away." 

Ewan smiled brightly and nodded, brushing some hair from his face. 

"All right, I have to go, Caitlyn needs the fire." He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but something was keeping it in his mouth. "Bye, Emmy." 

"Bye Ewan." Quickly, she blew a kiss, and she saw Ewan stiffen slightly. He blushed and waved goodbye, and then the fire diminished. 

As soon as the last embers were gone, Emily released a 'whoop' of happiness, and jumped up, clapping her hands together. It was a great day! Her brother was going to be a professional Quidditch player, she got to speak to her boyfriend, and she had the whole house to herself to scream and shout as loud as she wanted to. 


	25. New Situations

A/N- Before you read this, go to chapter 24 and read the Author's Note there.

It's important to the conclusion of the story; I promise it won't ruin it.

Weasley's the Name: Post Hogwarts

Beginnings

Anthony woke up feeling unusually excited. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see a thin white sheet over his head, instead of his blue one. There was a soft humming coming from someone else in the room, and suddenly, the night's events came rushing back to the redhead. His face heated up as he remembered what he and Taylor had done (how could he forget?)…in this bed…

The redhead wanted to groan. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed their first time together (he had, very much so) it was just…call him old fashioned, but he really wished they had waited until they were married. He wondered why Taylor didn't seem to want it that way. _Too late now_, he thought, _might as well stop worrying_. 

The humming grew louder; a familiar tune that he recalled from a musical Taylor had taken part in one summer. Her town was split between Wizards and Muggles, and being the eccentric girl she was, Taylor had auditioned for a play after their fourth year called. She landed the lead role, and all of her Gryffindor friends had come to see her perform. Anthony had to admit, even though he didn't like that she had to stage kiss a few times, that she was very natural on stage.

So the song was vaguely familiar, and lying cautiously stiff under the covers, he listened to her hum some more. It grew louder, but by the shuffling of her feet he knew she was still on the other side of the bed. Anthony heard the scraping off of what might've been her dresser, and then, she began to sing softly, 

"_Summer loving had me a bla-ast…_" she sang in a very deep voice, for it was the boy's part. Anthony suppressed a laugh as she continued. "_Summer loving happened so fa-ast._" Her voice went up about a pitch higher than she should have for the girl. 

His shoulders shook with laughter, and he hoped that she didn't notice. He remembered the song now, the boy and girl sang back and forth without realizing it; the girl was talking to her friends and the boy to his. 

"_I met a girl crrrrr_azy_ for meeee…Met a boy cute-as-can-be," _she exaggerated each part greatly, much to Anthony's amusement. 

"_Summer days drifting away to oh oh the suh-huh-mmer nights._" Taylor made some odd noises that sounded like they could be part of the song, but the redhead didn't remember it _that _well. 

_"Tell me more, tell me more,_ _did you get very far?" her voice went deep, and he heard the thumping of her feet as she danced or jumped or __something. _

 __

"_Tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car?_" she sang in the most girlish way she could.    

He couldn't resist it anymore, so Anthony pulled the cover slightly over his head, and peeked out at what he saw was the dancing Taylor.

She stood in front of her dresser, facing the mirror. With one hand she held her hair at the top of her head, and in the other she held a brush, using it as a microphone. She wasn't dressed either. The gray shirt she was wearing last night hung very loosely around her. 

Amused, Anthony sat up, making sure that his boxers were still covered under the blanket. He watched as she bounced around some more as she sang, and then, she saw him sitting up in the mirror. 

Turning around quickly, Taylor blushed, but then smiled and slunk towards him, exaggerating a 'sexy' walk. 

She leaned on the bed with both hands in front of his feet, eyeing him with the same gaze she had used last night. Anthony felt his face heat as she placed both knees on the bed, crawling up towards him,

"_I got chills…they're multiplying…_" she sang, in a soft, almost husky voice. "_And I'm looooosing control-ol…" Taylor was now straddling his stomach, sitting down rather abruptly, but not hurting him. "_Cause the power…you're supplying._" She traced a single finger down the middle of his chest, sending shivers throughout his body, "_It's e_lec__trifying." _

She leaned forward and kissed him. His arms, which had been supporting him, buckled and he fell back onto the pillow, Taylor falling on top of him.

Anthony noticed as she gazed into his eyes that her hair seemed to be cut in a neater fashion; she must have fixed it before he had woken. 

"Well," she said, batting her nose with his. "This position seems familiar, doesn't it?" 

He flushed immediately as they divulged into another kiss, her hands running through his messy hair. His arms wrapped around her waist, and they remained quite occupied with each other for quite some time. Until…   

"Taylor Parkinson?" a squeaky voice from the foot of the bed called. The two froze and Anthony watched as Taylor flushed red. Seeing that he was _very_ on top of her, the blonde peeked out from around his arms to look at whatever was talking to her.

"Y-yes?" she asked, in a very strangled sort of voice. Anthony shut his eyes and waited for a response; he didn't dare turn to look at the person who had caught them.

"Er…I is not wanting to bother Taylor Parkinson, but _Malcolm said that breakfast is serving," The voice went deeper, as if to imitate Malcolm's voice, "'_In precisely ten minutes, and she better be dressed respectively._'" _

Taylor nodded slightly, her arms still wrapped around Anthony's neck. 

"Alright. Er. If you excuse us then…" she said softly, shimming out of Anthony's grasp. But the little voice squeaked as if trying to stop her,

"Oh, Taylor Parkinson! Your brother does not know that…" Anthony could imagine the elf (he had figured it out on his own, thank you very much) looking around the room incase someone was listening. "Your _Wheezy spent the night."  _

Anthony and Taylor yelped at the same time, each dreading the fact that now they had problems after such a wonderful night. He rolled off to his side and smiled weakly at the elf, who was peering over the edge of the bed with its bright green eyes; only its pointy ears truly visible. 

"Hullo," he said quietly, sending a wave its way. The elf squeaked and disappeared with a _CRACK_. 

"Oh my _God_," Taylor hissed, furiously crawling out of the bed, throwing her legs over the side. She turned to Anthony with eyes as wide as Quaffles. "If he comes up here, we're both _dead_." 

He gulped, and more calmly than she had, he found his clothes in a messy pile at the side of the bed. The redhead didn't turn when Taylor cursed at something in her closet, nor did he even flinch when she slammed her dressers shut. Anthony dressed quietly with deep relaxing breaths. He heard her mutter a few charms and then she sighed heavily.

"_How _are you going to get out?" she asked. He turned to her as he put on his glasses, and smiled softly. She wore a black skirt that reached just above her knees, and a white off the shoulders shirt. Her black boots went right below the knees, and her hair bobbed adorably at her shoulders. 

"Love, forgot I could Apparate?" Anthony said, with a grin tugging at his lips. Taylor blushed immediately, embarrassed for not realizing the obvious. 

He stood, and soon the two were joined in front of the fireplace. Placing his arms around her waist, they rocked slowly together, Taylor leaning her head and arms on his chest.

"I'll send you a letter, with information about talking with my mum, alright?" She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. Anthony's stomach tightened at the prospect of 'tea with Pansy,' but he nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead. 

"Of course. Have a good breakfast." They kissed, and then he was gone.    

She stared at the place where Anthony was just standing, and crossed her arms across her chest. Taking a deep breath, Taylor strode to the door and out to the hall. It was dark upstairs, but the voices she heard floating up the staircase caused her to be wide awake.

Tip-toeing to the stairs, a peculiar sight alarmed her. On the bottom step was a young boy, with light blonde hair, playing with what looked like a toy dragon. Interested, Taylor began down the steps, hoping her boots didn't cause too much to startle the boy. He looked up anyway, but instead of looking nervous, he smiled.

"Like my dragon?" he whispered, lifting it up and pushing it towards her. Taylor smiled and sat down on the step above him.

"That a _very _nice dragon. What's its name?" she asked sweetly, patting the dragon's head. The boy shrugged slightly, biting his lip,

"Sebastian," he said simply. Again, Taylor grinned, and she tapped her feet to the song in her head. 

"What's _your _name, sweetie?" 

The boy looked up at her, and she was startled to notice that he looked remarkably like Malcolm; he even had the same color eyes. Surely Malcolm couldn't have a son? 

"_My _name is Michael Reginald _Mal_foy." He grinned brightly and giggled, proud to have remembered his full name. Taylor held back a gasp, _how could Malcolm not tell her?_

"Well, Michael," she said in a strained voice. "_My name is Taylor Iris Parkinson." She stuck out hand and reluctantly Michael took it. "It's nice to meet you." _

"Taylor!" a voice called from the dining room. "Would you please bring Michael in here with you?" It was Malcolm. Fuming because of this secret, Taylor took the little boy's hand, and stormed towards the voice.

"_Malcolm _Drake _Mal_foy, you have _so much explaining to do, or I swear I'll…" her rant drifted off into silence as she reached the dining room. She felt as if she was going to vomit._

Malcolm stood at the head of the table, with his hands on the top of one of the chairs. He smiled weakly at her, and besides him, looking rather ill himself, was Draco Malfoy. 

"Ugh," he groaned as he stood on the step in front of his house. There was a huge smudge on his glasses so he took them off and was reaching for his wand when the front door swung open. 

An eruption of noise and chatter escaped the house. His mother was crying with a huge smile on her face, and his father pounded him on the back. 

"Come in! _Oh_! Isn't it _exciting_? I'm _so happy for you!" Hermione squealed, hugging her son around the neck. Anthony eyed her oddly, and the other people in the people in the room (who seemed to be the __entire Weasley side of the family. Although he did spot his Muggle grandparents squished between Uncle Bill and Charlie.). _

Anthony blushed slightly; they weren't celebrating about his love life with Taylor, were they? The redhead didn't think his mother would be too happy with the new situation he and his girlfriend were in.

"What did I do?" Anthony finally said as they shut the door behind him and dragged him into the living room. Ron tilted his head at his son, and then it seemed as if a light had turned on in his head.

"_Oh_! We have the wrong twin," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

The family groaned and Hermione let go of Anthony, feeling very embarrassed. He fixed his glasses and put them on, still very confused about the surprise party for Jacob.

"Why is everyone here?" he asked, sitting on the couch between Emily and Uncle Fred. 

"Jake's going professional, here, look." Emily shoved _The Daily Prophet _into his lap with a grunt. It seemed that she didn't enjoy all the sudden company. Anthony scanned the article (he had a shock when he saw Jake's picture) and grinned broadly. 

"Well, this _does deserve a celebration! Jake __and Brian, that's amazing." _

"This house isn't going to be empty for a _long time," Emily mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest. Anthony eyed her carefully, and then shrugged; figuring out girls was never his forte.  _

Uncle Fred nudged him with a sharp elbow. Anthony smirked at the gesture and turned to his uncle. Fred grinned wildly, 

"_So _heard you were out all night, where'd you stay?" he said in a loud whisper. 

Anthony felt his ears burn, and he gawked at his uncle until he could think of a suitable excuse. Stating that he had stayed over at his girlfriend's place the entire night in a room that contained almost all of his family was _not _a smart idea. 

"Leaky Cauldron," he croaked. 

Fred raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to make a comment when a burst of cheer erupted from the back of the house. Fred jumped up and raced towards the noise. Anthony and Emily shared an excited glance, and they too soon followed Fred.

In the kitchen, Brian and Sarah (they came in through the back door) were being swarmed by the Weasleys. Fred barged through the ocean of family and pulled his son out of the grip his Uncle Ron had him in. Brian stared up expectantly into his father's eyes, and Fred, quite unexpectedly, burst out into tears. 

"Oy!" Uncle George moaned as his twin hugged his son tightly around the neck. "I always knew _he was the pansy out of the pair." _

Grandma Weasley smacked her son on the head, tears falling freely out of her eyes. Millions of questions were being asked at the same time to Brian, who looked utterly flustered at the sudden attention.  

"Can I sit? Blimey, it hasn't even sunk in yet," he said with a tired look on his face. His mother pinched his cheeks and let him sit in on of the kitchen chairs. 

Anthony and Emily slowly backed out of the kitchen (which had gotten very loud _very _quickly) and into their living room.

"Exciting, huh?" Emily asked, sitting on the arm of the couch and smoothing out her skirt. Anthony nodded as he continued to walk towards the stairs.

  
"I just want to be the first to see Jake, before the mob hits," he called over his shoulder. His sister agreed and jumped off the couch to follow him. 

"Where were you _really last night?" she asked, stopping Anthony in his tracks. He turned and before he could answer, she knew that he had been lying earlier; his bright red face sold him out. _

"With Taylor," he barely whispered, praying to whatever looked down upon them that his family wouldn't hear. 

Emily's eyes widened with surprise and she ran towards her brother at top speed. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along into the library, where she shut the door.

"Oh _my GOD_!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Are you two back together?"

Anthony nodded and Emily squealed happily, jumping up in place. He couldn't help but laugh at his sister's excitement as she regained her calm.

"And you're engaged again?" 

She shrieked as Anthony nodded again. 

"This is _so _great! Oh my _God_, I have to talk to Taylor, we _have _to start planning!" 

Anthony rolled his eyes and was about to tell his sister to shut up when they heard the front door click open and the unmistakable laugh of Jacob. The siblings pushed the door open slowly, and peeked out. 

Jacob had his arm around Soledad's shoulders, smiling brightly at some joke they must've shared. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the two began dancing to silent music. It the dim light of the hallway, something glittered on Soledad's left hand. 

Emily twitched.

Anthony's mouth fell open.

His sister moved as if she wanted to jump out of the room to greet them, but Anthony put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still.

"Brian is causing quite a distraction," Jacob said softly, leaning his head against Soledad's curls. 

"You're not going to say hello?" the girl asked, giggling because Jacob had just dipped her.

Jacob shook his head and Emily growled. 

"Nah, I want to spend time with the missus." 

Anthony had to cover his sister's mouth to stop the shriek that was about to escape. She looked up at him with wide excited eyes, but he just put a single finger to her lips to keep her silent. 

"Mrs. Soledad Weasley, don't think I'll ever see that as the norm," Soledad laughed as Jacob twirled her around, pulling her back into his arms. "When your family finds out we eloped—" 

It happened too quickly for Anthony to truly comprehend. Emily had bitten down on his fingers, making him scream out in pain. His scream startled the couple in the hallway, making Soledad shriek. Her shriek was heard by Hermione, who jumped up from her chair and stepped on Marauder's tail. Marauder's yowl made everyone in the kitchen jump, and Delaney started crying when the gray cat shot past her, knocking her down. Delaney's crying made the other baby, Ben Potter, begin to wail, and now the house was full of chatter at what the shriek was. 

All of this because Emily couldn't contain herself. 

"_You ELO-_?" she tried to scream, but Jacob had caught her just in time. Soledad put a silencing finger to her lips, but had to quickly spin around because Hermione had rushed in. 

"_Jacob!_" the woman of the house said loudly. 

Anthony slipped out of the room and saw that his mother had tackled Jacob; she was now crying into his shoulder. Ron sighed at his wife's emotions, but he looked as if he was ready to burst into tears of happiness as well. 

This started another chain reaction, and now all the women were squealing with delight. The men were pounding Jacob on the back, looking proud, and Grandma Weasley was patting a soft hand on her grandson's cheek. 

Anthony realized that the rest of the day would be for Jacob and Brian, so he climbed the stairs to his room, smiling as he heard his Uncle Charlie say to Soledad "D'ya think we could get some autographs…?"

He entered his room and shut the door, smiling at the way his mother had tidied it up. 

It seemed, finally, that their futures were finally taking shape; and it terrified and excited him at the same time.    

Draco Malfoy looked extremely uncomfortable under the gaze of the intimidating blonde. As he stared at her, he noticed that light bounced off of her hair in the same manner it did his and his sons'.

Her eyes were filled with a flare that commonly resided inside of his, and his mouth gaped slightly at the anger that poured out of them. He had only seen a few pictures of her, they were provided by Malcolm, and though he was sickened by the fact that this daughter was the cause of the separation from his wife, he could never divert his eyes from her. 

Taylor's eyes left his and they flicked to Malcolm. Michael giggled by her side, waving to his father. The little boy would be three in November, and he was the last thing Draco had to remind him of his wife. He waved back, still frozen by the sight of the young woman. 

"Malcolm," she croaked, letting go of Michael's hand. "_What_ is going on here?" 

Draco watched as his son twitched, smiling weakly at his sister. The elder Malfoy knew that his son loved his sister very much, and he wondered _why _exactly, he had set this up.

"I thought, since you're out of Hogwarts, and, you _are _mature, that…well…you should meet your father." 

She glared at him, her lips pursed so tightly that Draco smirked slightly; it reminded him of Pansy. The way she placed her hands on her hips was also a trait her mother had possessed in their school days, and he pondered, briefly, if she still did that. 

Taylor turned to her father now, shaking slightly. 

"Did _you _want to talk to me?" she whispered, crossing her arms across her chest. Draco gulped softly and nodded. "Why? After so long…why?"

He closed his eyes and then opened them suddenly, reaching for a chair from the table. Draco took a seat, and motioned for Taylor to join him. Malcolm took this as an escape route, and he crossed the table and took Michael's hand, leading him out of the room (he avoided Taylor's eyes). 

The girl took a deep breath and strode to the seat next to Draco, giving him the impression that she was very sure of herself. The arrogant vibes she was sending him made him chuckle slightly. Taylor stared at him questioningly, and he answered,

"Your swagger. It reminds me of myself, at your age." 

She paled slightly, and looked down at her hands, which were placed nicely on her lap. 

"I'm a Gryffindor," she said simply, looking back up at him with determination. Draco nodded, not losing eye contact.

"I know. I know a lot about you, Taylor." 

"Why?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "I've never spoken to you until today, I've never even seen you in person."

"Honestly…I've always wondered what you were like." He looked into her eyes with such intensity that Taylor was sure he was telling the truth. "I wasn't allowed to see you, I didn't want to cause trouble between my family…" 

The two looked away as they remembered the events of Taylor's first year. It was the starting point of the break up with his wife, Alexandra. 

"Are you sorry for it?" Taylor asked quietly, finally looking back at him. Draco looked up and stared at her, right into eyes that mirrored his. 

She really was as beautiful as Malcolm had described her; Draco had just believed that it was his son's intense love for his little sister that made him embellish her looks. But…she was, and that wasn't a surprise, she _did _have Malfoy blood.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. Taylor seemed perturbed by the answer, so he continued, "I don't know you well enough to know if having you was the best thing for my family. My boys…Stephen and Richard…they ended up like I was going to, until I decided to ignore my father's demands. Did you know that? Did you know that I was never truly a Death Eater?"

He watched as the girl shook her head, her eyes widening with astonishment. 

"I wasn't. I would pass some information that _might be useful to my father and the rest of the Death Eaters, yes, but nothing ever important. There was really, nothing for me to do. I was too young to cause havoc, and I wasn't slick enough to out wit the infamous trio." _

"So you were just a pest?" Taylor said, cutting to the chase. Draco smiled slyly, and nodded, running a hand through his hair. It was cut just above his ears, and he was glad his hair was so light in color; people couldn't see the few grays that had started to grow. 

"Just a pest."   

Taylor looked back down at her hands, and Draco wondered how well she was taking to this conversation. He also thought about what their relationship would be like _after _this, would Pansy be all right with him being in his daughter's life?

"I suppose you know about my boyfriend, then." 

Draco's cheeks tinged red. Taylor stared up at him and frowned, leaning back into her chair. He, on the other hand, smiled softly, understanding her anger. He was only _slightly_ annoyed that his daughter was dating a Weasley.

"We've only been on speaking terms for five minutes, and you're already bringing boyfriends into the picture?" 

His heart raced as Taylor smiled, rolling her eyes slightly at the comment. She looked very relieved, and her shoulders slumped in relaxation. Feeling brave, and wondering how Gryffindors did it all the time, Draco put his hand on his daughter's (the phrase still made him choke) knee and he took a deep breath,

"Taylor, I'm sorry for any trouble I've brought you. I've…changed; I know I have. I'll put down all the money in the Malfoy bank at Gringotts if you would just let me slowly become part of your life, because, since I first found out about you, I've always wanted to have a little girl of my own." He blushed slightly, shaking his head. "If only my roommates could hear me now, I sound like such a sissy." 

The girl smiled again and opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it, shaking her head. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, tears were brimming at her eyelashes,

"Slow and steady…that's the only way we'll be able to make this right. I want to…I trust you." Taylor said in a tight voice. Draco nodded, releasing a breath. 

He decided, based on that comment, his daughter was one of the best people he had ever met.


	26. Cafe con RosaTea with Pansy

**A/N- Before you read this, go to Chapter 24; it's important to the conclusion of the story.**

**Weasley's The Name: Post Hogwarts**

It wasn't until six o'clock that evening that the house was quite again. The extended family had left, but the entire house shook as Jacob discussed the owls he had received from various Quidditch teams in Europe. Puddlemere's coach, Hogwarts alumni Oliver Wood, sent quite a few, each explaining how he trained the greatest Gryffindor team. 

"The bloody _Cannons _didn't send you a letter?" Ron growled as he jabbed his knife into his steak. "Can't believe that…they _know _you, don't they? Haven't you been to the locker rooms with Soledad?" 

Jacob rolled his eyes as he flattened his mashed potatoes with the back of his spoon. Anthony watched from across the table as his brother seemed slightly discouraged at the last statement. The orange of Jacob's room proved his loyalty to the Chudley Cannons, and the lack of a letter had probably affected his joyful mood. 

"Maybe the owl's slow?" Hermione quipped. "Or they're playing it smart, waiting to see how you fair at the camp, _not that you're going to do bad, but you know what I mean." _

"Yes, Mum," Jacob said in a monotone voice, now sliding the peas on his plate into the potatoes. Everyone sitting at the table (well, Delaney was busy mimicking Jacob's actions) stared at him, eyes wide with wonderment. 

"Jake?" Emily finally asked, tossing a crumpled napkin at his forehead. Jacob caught it was a swift hand and flung it back at her before she was able to put her hand down. Ron grinned widely, but then frowned at his son's sour expression,

"Okay, what's wrong?" 

The curly-haired twin sighed, leaning back into his chair and avoiding the stares of his family. He crossed his arms and finally raised his eyes to meet his mother's,

"_Soledadwantsustomeetherfamily_." 

"_What_?" they all said at the same time, causing Delaney to giggle. Jacob sighed and sat up, running a hand through his hair,

"_Soledad wants us to meet her family_," he accented every word as if he was speaking to a child. Hermione's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together,

"Oh that's _wonderful_, we've spoken before, haven't we? At graduation, I believe, they seemed _so nice, and I've never been to Madrid. What does her father do?"_

"He owns a large hotel there, _El Fin de El Arco Iris__." Jacob blushed slightly at his attempt at Spanish, though his mother looked very impressed. "_The End of The Rainbow_…Solely made me learn it," he muttered. _

"I bet we'll hit it off _grandly, now why do you seem so worried about it?"_

Anthony and Emily snickered, causing Jacob to kick his twin under the table. 

"Er…well…it's the first time we talk since…er…the fact that you're in-laws."

Ron dropped all the peas from his spoon as he turned to look at his son. Hermione gasped and put her hands to her mouth, her eyes watering.

"_What_?" Ron asked with an astonished look on his face. "_Bloody_ hell!" he turned to Emily, wagging the spoon at her. "Don't you get any ideas!"

Emily blushed furiously and sneered at her father, turning away to avoid embarrassment. Hermione had rushed around the table and was hugging Jacob tightly around the neck, while he blushed with embarrassment and joy.

"When did this happen? How could you not tell us? Oh I'm so _happy_!" Hermione said quickly, wiping at her eyes. 

Jacob's blush grew deeper. Anthony was just happy that they were ignoring _him_, but now that Jacob brought up meeting the in-laws…maybe it would be a good time to say something as well.

"Today, after I found out about the draft. It was her idea, actually," Jacob answered. 

"She wants to go to medical school and that's about seven years already, and since I haven't even made any teams yet (Ron snorted at this), we just wanted to get married because we won't have time for it later on."  
  


"It's good that you're thinking ahead, but there's _always_ time for a celebration like _this_," Hermione said, her face literally glowing. "I'll have to talk to Mrs. Diego about this, I know we could think of _something_ to do for you two!"

"We could have it on my birthday!" Emily piped, clapping happily. She looked ecstatic about the fact that Jacob's secret was revealed. "It's two weeks away, plenty of time for a small ceremony, _plus_ everyone's gonna be there anyway!" 

An excited murmur ran around the table, Jacob blushing furiously at the prospect of his wedding. 

"It's settled," Hermione said with a giggle of joy. "I can't _believe_ I'm going to be attending my son's wedding in less than fifteen days…" Her eyes watered, and quickly, before he could ready himself, she turned on Anthony, her eyes narrowing, "And what about _you? What's going on with Taylor?"_

"Oh," Anthony said with a high voice. Jacob grinned across the table and stuck his tongue out at his twin. "It's still on. I spoke to her last night."

"What _aren't_ you telling us?" Ron asked, eyeing his son with suspicion. Anthony gulped; his father always knew when he was hiding something. 

"Er…she wants you to have tea with her mother. I told her you would. " He watched as Ron rolled his eyes slightly, but in a manner that showed Anthony that he was okay with it. 

"Oh, well, that's _also _wonderful. Does she want to make the plans or should I start doing that?" Hermione asked looking quite excited about the prospect of meeting for the first time in more than twenty years the woman who was horrible to her during their stay at Hogwarts. 

Anthony shrugged slightly in his seat, and he felt slightly embarrassed, hoping his mother wouldn't ask where he spoke to Taylor,

"Er…she said she was going to send me a letter with some information."

"Yeah," Jacob cut in, "And Soledad would _love it if you guys went to Madrid, since her parents just got back there from graduation." _

Ron grumbled but nodded, and Hermione clapped her hands,

"Well then, I guess it's off to Madrid!" 

**_*_**_The Next Week***** _

"Your parents are going to hate me," Jacob said sadly, pulling one of his red curls into his eyes. Soledad was busy tying the many clasps of his cloak to notice the nervous look on her husband's face. It was one she had bought him from Madrid, and there was a certain way to tie it that Jacob could not figure out.

"I have flaming red hair, a _horrible accent, I wasn't Head Boy or anything…__oy, you should've had _Ant_hony switch places with me for today…and I might not play for the __Cannons!"_

"_Ave Maria…_" she muttered, shaking her head. "You're overreacting. Mama is going to love you, and Papa…well, he might be a little suspicious at first, _pero he'll get used to your flaming hair." _

She stood up and smiled, looking absolutely thrilled about Jacob being in Madrid. He and his parents had arrived early that morning by Portkey in a hotel twenty minutes from Soledad's house. Soon, once everyone was ready, they would be off to see her parents. 

Her parents had never met Jacob face to face, that time he spent at her beach house was under the supervision of her older brother, Joaquin and her sister Marisel. The two also attended Hogwarts, but were respectively five and seven years older than Soledad. The elder Diegos, Carlos and Rosa, had been on a weekend in Greece to celebrate their anniversary. 

"Do you think my charming personality will win them over?" Jacob asked, examining his new set of cloaks in the full-length mirror. The clasps went all the way to his stomach, and the there were no sleeves. A white shirt went under it, the sleeves cuffed up right above the elbows, and he wore dark blue slacks to match the thin fabric of the cloak. 

Soledad tilted her head as she examined him, walking around him slowly as Jacob stood rigid, his eyes closed. She wore a similar outfit, except she wore a long yellow skirt to match the color of the cloak. Without hesitation, she swung her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly from behind,

"_¡Usted parece tan hermoso! ¡Si nos casaran ya le casaría otra vez!_" she squealed, jumping up slightly. Jacob had a little idea of what she said, but he had no way to answer,

"_Sí_," he said simply. Soledad giggled and buried her face into his back. They stood for a few moments, her face in his back and Jacob's hands on top of hers until Ron's voice came from the other room,

"If I have to unclasps these bloody things _one more time…"_

Soledad giggled excitedly and raced away from Jacob and into her in-laws' room, hoping that Mr. Weasley didn't have a heart attack with the cloak she bought him. 

"Mama! Papa!" Soledad exclaimed, rushing up the front steps of a very large house. It was covered with vines and two pillars lined the front door. Two people, now being hugged by Soledad, stood on the porch and now the Weasleys approached. 

Jacob wanted to vomit, but he promised Soledad he'd make it through the day. Hopefully. 

"_Mi belleza_," Carlos Diego whispered, hugging his daughter tightly. When they parted, he looked over at the Weasleys, eyeing Jacob with more interest than the rest. 

He was a sturdy man, much taller than Soledad and his wife, but definitely shorter than Ron or Jacob. Round glasses rested on the tip of his pudgy nose, and his straight brown hair was combed back. 

"_¡Hola! ¡Recepción a mi hogar!_ Welcome!" 

Rosa Diego hurried down the stairs to greet the Weasleys, giving kisses on both cheeks to Hermione and Ron, stopping in front of Jacob with a shimmer in her eyes.

"_¡Ay, él es muy hermoso!_" she giggled slightly, turning back to Soledad, "_Usted va a tener niños hermosos," she said knowingly. Rosa had curly brown hair like Soledad, but it was cut very short, falling just below her ears. _

"_Mama_," Soledad said, though a smile was tugging at her lips. Jacob smiled a scared smile as Rosa started to straighten out his cloak, 

"_Me plazco muy…_" Jacob started. "_Estar aquí._" 

Rosa squealed with happiness, hugging Jacob around the neck. Jacob, thinking he did the right thing, smiled over her head at Soledad, who beamed back at him. _This might not be so bad after all_ he thought.

Anthony was sitting across the table from Emily as the mail swooped in that day. Both of their heads snapped up, eyeing the three owls that had landed on the table. 

A large black one with a small package attached to its leg landed right in font of the eldest daughter. Emily immediately took the package off and gave the owl a small treat before she raced up to her room. 

Pigwidgeon hooted happily and chirped his way into Anthony's bowl of oatmeal, dancing around as if it were a birdbath. The letter he held in his beak was raised high, safe from the oatmeal. Chudlina hooted with annoyance and dropped the letters she had, and then flew to her perch, eyeing Pig with disdain. 

"Thanks Pig," Anthony said with a roll of his eyes. The little owl flapped his wings with glee, splashing Anthony with little specks of oatmeal.

After he wiped his glasses clean, the redhead carefully tore open the letter, recognizing Taylor's handwriting. With one last sip of his tea, Anthony began to read.

_Dear Anthony,_

_          Hello darling, it's only been a week since I've last seen you and I'm already yearning for you to sleep by my side again_ (Anthony blushed furiously). _I've spoken to my mother, and yes, she is willing to have tea with your parents…and…oh Anthony, I hope you're sitting down. (He wiggled in his chair to make sure, wondering what was getting her so worried). _After you left that morning, I went downstairs to meet Malcolm, and…my father.__

"Holy shit," Anthony whispered, reading the last two words over again. _Draco Malfoy_ actually visited Taylor? Why…what was the purpose?

          _I know what you're thinking, and believe me, I have absolutely no idea what Malcolm told him to get him here, but there he was, sitting in my dining room looking about as nervous as I felt. We talked; it was a little awkward at first, but Anthony! He's such a sweetheart! He told me everything about his time at Hogwarts, and all these years since I was born, he's really quite interesting and amazing. _

_          The tea date is set for the Sunday before your sister's birthday._

_          Write back if it's a problem, and now that you know what Malcolm's house is called, I hope to speak to you through the fire connection, all right?_

_                                                                             Love always,_

_                                                                                                Taylor_

Anthony sat back in the chair, staring down at the letter with wide eyes. He pushed a hand through his long hair (his mother had begun to pester him about cutting it), a deep sigh being released from his mouth.

He wasn't exactly sure how his parents would take to dealing with Draco Malfoy, for he heard the stories his father had talked about to his uncle Harry. Ron Weasley wasn't a large fan of any Malfoy, especially after Anthony's first year.

There was a giggle and a squeal from upstairs, and the redhead rolled his eyes; Emily must have gotten a letter from her boyfriend, whom he was she wasn't revealing, but he was taking up much of her time. 

With another sigh, Anthony stood up and began towards the stairs; he was going to need as much free time to figure out what to tell his parents about the tea with Pansy. He had a feeling he'd have to write another awe-inspiring speech.

Pansy Parkinson was nervous. She had every right to be, of course. In less than fifteen minutes, four people would be coming to her house for some afternoon discussions and just a little…tea party. These four people have all had, or are going to have, a major impact on her life

First, there was Ron and Hermione. She shuddered at what that introduction was going to be like, especially since the last time she saw the pair was when she had purposely spilled a large bowl of bunch on Hermione's white dress robes. Pansy now felt like an idiot for doing such a thing, especially because Hermione just cleaned it up with a simple flick of her wand.

Then there was Draco. She had been in love with the blonde haired good-looking man for all of her time at Hogwarts, and now she just wanted to vomit at the thought of him. He suddenly wanted to become part of Taylor's life…_Well_, Pansy thought, _it's going to be harder than just waltzing in her and looking ravishing!_

Last came Ron and Hermione's son, Anthony. He was the boy…er…_man_ that was stealing Pansy's precious daughter away from her. He was the one that Pansy was the most afraid to meet, because acknowledging his existence would mean letting go of Taylor, letting go of the one thing she had held onto for so long…

"Mama?" Taylor's voice called from down the hallway. Pansy dropped her washcloth into the sink and wiped at her eyes. She had been daydreaming about the upcoming events. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen!" she called over her shoulder, placing a cup on the dish rack. The kitchen, and, well, the _house,_ was finally spotless and ready for some important guests. The house was a modest size, one story with three bedrooms. The backyard was tiny as well, and the neighbors were less than ten feet away. 

Pansy listened to the clicking of her daughter's heels as they came closer, and smiled softly when Taylor appeared. 

She wore a set of green robes Pansy had sewn from her, and it flowed around her body in a very delicate manner. Taylor's short hair (Pansy had almost fainted when she saw it) was tied into a ponytail, and she looked at her mother, hoping she passed the examination. 

"You look _gorgeous_," Pansy cooed, rushing over and hugging her. "That Weasley is a very lucky man."

"His name is Anthony, Mama." Taylor looked at her mother with a disappointed glance. "I hope you're not going to be calling them 'Weasley' and 'Granger' for the rest of our lives together!" 

Pansy rolled here eyes and shook her head, taking a seat at her kitchen table. Her daughter scurried next to her, sitting in a chair with apprehensive eyes.

"I won't, I promise…we just have such bad blood, Taylor." She pouted, her brown curls bouncing around her ears. 

Her daughter smiled softly and took her mother's hands in hers, giving them a soft squeeze. 

"_Don't_ worry, you're all adults, I bet you'll hit it off _grandly_." 

Pansy was about to show her anxiousness when the doorbell rang. Taylor jumped out of her seat, still holding her mother's hand. 

"They're _here_!" she squealed, giving it another small squeeze before she let go and raced to the door. The mother sighed, standing up and straightening out her robes. She prayed to whatever was looking down on her home that this evening would go smoothly.

"I swear, if he mentions _anything_ about my family…" Ron growled, crossing his arms as he waited for the door to open to the Parkinson's house. Hermione slapped his arm with a reproachful glare, and Anthony just stood rigid, scared out of his mind at formally meeting his fiancée's parents.

The door flew open, and Taylor appeared, smiling prettily at the Weasleys. Hermione immediately rushed to greet the girl, and the two women disappeared into the house, leaving the men on the doorstep feeling rather dumb. 

Ron sighed, and grabbed the back of Anthony's neck in a reassuring manner. 

"And into the snake pit we go…" he muttered with a wink towards his son. Anthony laughed tensely as they entered the house. 

It seemed small compared to their house, but everything seemed to fit perfectly and neatly. The living room consisted of some fluffy couches that were embroidered with large pink flowers, and the cabinet at the end was full of little trinkets. 

Taylor had seated Hermione in one of the couches, and the older woman seemed to be sinking into it. The blonde bounced happily to the men, giving Ron a hug, and staring shyly at Anthony.

"My mother will be with you in a second," she said with a giddy smile, rushing away and into what looked like a kitchen.  

Anthony stayed in his position in front of the door as Ron crossed the living room to sit next to Hermione. She seemed to be enjoying the coziness of the couch, but when her husband sat down, he sunk so deep that she tumbled onto him.

"_Honestly_!" she sputtered, pushing herself off of him and up to her feet. "Go sit on that chair, you won't disturb anyone _there_!" 

"Oh, are they too fluffy?" a new voice said, and all the Weasleys turned to see Taylor on the arm of a woman a little bit taller than her. She had short curly hair with a pug-like nose, and was just as thin as her daughter. Pansy Parkinson actually looked quite terrified. 

"Oh, _no_, Pansy," Hermione said, rushing over and standing awkwardly in front of the woman. "It's just that Ron is so huge…"

"_Huge_?" her husband interrupted with a smirk. "Just cause I'm a foot taller than you doesn't mean I'm _huge_." 

Anthony watched as the three women stifled a giggle, and he caught his father's gaze. Ron looked rather put out, but it was hard to stay mad in such a comfy couch. 

"It's so…_amazing_ to see you again, Pansy," Hermione said, her hands clasped in front of her. "You look _great_!" 

Ms. Parkinson blushed deeply and shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably; Anthony noticed Taylor give her mother a nudge with her elbow.

"Th-Thank you, I love what you did with your hair, mine's always flyaway," she complimented shyly. Hermione smiled brightly, glad that someone appreciated the effort she put into maintaining her wild curls. 

"It's quite easy, if you like, I could show you the charm, Merlin knows that if it works on my hair, it'll do wonders on yours!" 

The women laughed, and the men just stared, not understanding why hair was such an easy topic to discuss. 

"Am I late?" a voice from behind Anthony asked, making the boy spin around. He tried to keep his heart from racing as he stared into the eyes of Draco Malfoy.

Anthony thought back about all the pain the Malfoy name has brought him, his constant headaches, the nightmares, the fear of losing his brother and Taylor, would he be able to live with this man in his life forever? 

_Of course_, he thought with a warm heart, _to live my entire life with Taylor by my side…I'd risk anything._

He looked just like Malcolm, his hair much shorter than his son's but the same light color. Draco's eyes darted nervously around, and he took a small step back as Ron took a place by his son's side. The blonde man's nervous look turned into one of recognition, and with a shake of his head he looked proud and pompous. 

"Hello Ron, who'd have ever thought we'd be family, huh?" 

Anthony watched his father's ears burn red, but Ron just forced a smile and stuck his hand out to Draco. The older Malfoy looked the hand with suspicion (he might've heard of Weasley Wizard Wheezy's latest invention, the Hand Shriveler), but thrust his hand out to shake Ron's. 

"You're daughter's a wonderful girl, wouldn't want anything more for my boy." Ron shook Draco's hand and then swiftly let go, hurrying back to the couch where he plopped himself down. 

It was now Anthony's turn to introduce him self, and with a soft nod of his head, he stuck his hand out to Draco.

"Pleasure to meet you, Taylor's told me loads of great things about you," he said, his eyes locking on to Draco's.

"The same here, she never stops going on about you," the blonde man said, a sly smirk on his face. 

Taylor appeared at Anthony's side, smiling and looking into the eyes of her father and boyfriend.

"Would you two like something to eat? I made my famous biscuits, they're nice and warm!" 

Without waiting for a response, the girl sped away happily, pulling Hermione into the kitchen so she could examine her cooking. Pansy was showing Ron her collection of Kneazle teeth as Anthony and Draco slowly made their way towards the kitchen. 

"Why are her biscuits famous?" Draco said out of the side of his mouth. The tall redhead chuckled softly, peering into the kitchen and watching as his mother took a bite out of something that looked like a rock. She grimaced, but quickly smiled at the blonde girl.

"Cause they're just about as popular as Hagrid's," he answered, watching Draco's eyes widened with understanding. Anthony smiled softly, and began to think that the day wasn't going to be so bad. 


	27. The Wedding

A/N- Before you read this, go to Ch. 24 and read the author's note; it's important to the conclusion of the story.

Weasley's the Name: Post Hogwarts

Celebrations

That Saturday was Emily's birthday, and the small wedding in the backyard of the Burrow. The Diegos had been thrilled about the idea, especially Rosa, who had been corresponding with Hermione every day since they met. She had been a bit put out with her daughter about the secret marriage, but at the prospect of having _some sort _of ceremony, the Headmistress was more than willing to participate. 

On Friday, five women sat in the kitchen of the Burrow, all discussing the plans for the following day. Hermione was checking off the final number of guests, Rosa Diego was drawing a map of the area, Molly Weasley was writing down all of the food, Marisel Diego was writing the list of music, and Taylor Parkinson was fiddling with her freshly painted nails, itching to help.

As the maid of honor, the blonde had been led to believe that she was going to have a major role in the preparation of the wedding. Turns out, her only duty was to write a speech for the reception; a task Taylor was having quite a hard time with. 

"Lilies, _correcto_?" Rosa asked, looking up at Hermione. The bushy haired woman nodded, nibbling on the end of her quill. Taylor leaned over to peek at the list her future mother-in-law was writing, but Hermione pulled it away, giving the blonde her best _shouldn't-you-be-doing-something-_look. 

"Why don't you go see how Soledad is doing? It's taken her _ages_ to try those robes on," Hermione said with a bit of a twinkle in her eyes. Taylor could only imagine how weepy she would be tomorrow. With a sigh, the blonde pushed her chair away from the table and slowly made her way up the stairs. 

Soledad was sleeping in Ginny Weasley's old room, because it was the most equipped with feminine things. Taylor knocked softly, hoping that her friend was ready for visitors. 

Something like a whisper escaped the room, and Taylor opened it quickly in anticipation, peeking in. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of her best friend, standing like an angel in the middle of the room.

Soledad's hair was tied up at the top of her head in a curly bun, a band of flowers circling it and a veil falling down her back. Around her neck she had a simple jeweled choker necklace, and she was fiddling it with hands covered in white elbow length gloves. Her outfit consisted of a smooth, stain, strapless dress that flared at her waist, hiding her feet. The top was embroidered with tiny jewels in a flowery pattern that made her sparkle and vines trickled down the skirt. 

Taylor just stared in awe as Soledad fidgeted nervously. 

"Does it look okay?" she asked softly, looking down at herself. The blonde entered, shutting the door behind her self and leaning on it. Her friend looked up at her with an anxious expression, and quickly, Taylor nodded.

"It's _gorgeous_," she whispered, and then she watched as Soledad blushed deeply, and nodded.

"I love it. It's just…" she broke off, looking upset. Taylor immediately rushed to the bed and sat upon it, looking up at her beautiful friend. 

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, tracing a finger down a vine of jewels. 

"It's a Muggle dress," Soledad sighed, sitting down next to Taylor. "I found when I was in London with Sarah, she was showing me all these Muggle stores, I _had _to go back and get it." 

"You're worried about the price?" the blonde asked, knowing that Soledad would surely have enough money to pay for such an expensive looking dress. The curly haired girl shook her head, looking down at her gloved fingers, her engagement and wedding band shining brightly in the light of the room.

"No…it's just that…my mama wants me to wear _her_ wedding robes…" She bit her lip, turning to Taylor. "My sister has already fought her about it, and I'm kind of the last hope…but I _love_ my dress."

"Oh, I do too!" Taylor giggled, patting down the large skirt. "You look simply _amazing_, Jacob will surely love it!" She took her friend's hand, and patted it with the other. "Listen, if you want to wear this, then _wear it_. It's _your_ day!" 

Soledad smiled widely and nodded quickly, throwing her arms around Taylor as the girls laughed happily. 

As their laughter subsided, the door was pushed open and a couple of very high-pitched gasps filled the room. Soledad stood up quickly, standing as if she was about to be executed. 

The four women from the kitchen stared at the bride with wide, watery eyes. Rosa rushed up to her daughter, taking her face in her hands.

"_iMi belleza!_"

With that, she began to cry, Soledad looking a little flustered, but then growing weepy as well. She hugged her mother as the other women scurried over to examine the dress all-speaking in high, happy voices. 

Taylor smiled at the commotion the dress was bringing, and she couldn't help but wonder what her wedding day would be like. She hoped, it would be just as marvelous as Soledad's. 

Anthony had been banging on his brother's door for fifteen minutes. He had recruited Brian and Rigel to help, but it seemed that the loud voices and spells shot towards the door were useless. It wouldn't budge, and it seemed that this wedding was not going to have a groom. 

"How're we going to have a wedding without _him_?" Brian asked, stopping himself from brushing his hand through his neatly combed hair. "We're supposed to be there in twenty minutes, and you _know_ he's not ready!" 

Rigel leaned against the wall, and softly tapped again,

"Jake, if you don't come out, Soledad's going to be miserable, and since you're _already _married, there's going to be hell to pay when she gets a hold of you." 

The other boys in the hallway snickered as the door clicked open. Anthony pushed the door open and walked in, Brian and Rigel peering in and not sure if they should enter. 

Jacob was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands, and his dress robes on and getting wrinkled. He didn't look up as Anthony took a seat in the chair next to his desk, or when Rigel entered and levitated a pillow over his head and let it drop. Jacob didn't even move when Brian kicked his leg and said, 

"Oy, Jake! You sick or something?"

The three watched as Jacob's shoulders shook with his heavy breaths, and curious, Anthony bent down to peer between his brother's fingers.

"You all right?" he asked, grabbing his twin's wrists and pulling them away. Jacob looked up with wide eyes as if a Basilisk had just petrified him. 

He wore a set of golden robes with clasps at his chest and waist. His pants and shirt were the same color, and his brown shoes shone. His hair was slicked back and he would look handsome, if it wasn't for the hysterical look on his face.

"Take me to St. Mungo's," he said hoarsely, his mouth dry. Brian and Rigel moved forward to help him up, but Anthony put out his arms to stop them. He watched his brother with a raised eyebrow. 

"Why?" 

"Because my stomach is ready to explode and I'm dizzy enough kiss Professor Snape." 

The boys standing eyed him with interrogating eyes and then burst out in laughter. Jacob looked on in shock, his hand pressed to his rapidly beating heart. 

"What's so funny? I'm _dying_!" 

This caused Anthony and Brian to laugh harder, and Rigel, wiping a tear away, shook his head.

"No you're not, you stupid berk, you're _nervous_!" 

Jacob stared at him as if he had three heads.

"_Nervous_? I _never _get nervous! Why would I get nervous? It's not like I'm about to go off and get married again in front of all my friends and family, having some guy tell me how this is going to change the rest of my life and I'll never be able to hang out with you guys again and I'll have to devote all my time to my wife and my family and then looking for work to support all of them…" He hung his head, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I'm nervous." 

"But you're already married!" Brian said, crossing his arms in frustration. The three wore similar robes, except they were a deep blue color. They were in the wedding party and were supposed to arrive at The Burrow with Jacob.

"But that was just a little thing! Just the priest and us, a short five minute thing, just to make it official!" Jacob yelled, grabbing his cheeks in fear. "I've heard wedding vows before, I never thought about being so dedicated, what if I can't do it? I have to cancel it, I'm not mature enough, _oy_, we're so _stu_pid!"

"Yes, you _are_ stupid," Anthony began, grinning at his brother. "But this ceremony isn't going to change the way you and Soledad are together! It's just…to make everything official, sort of." 

"So you guys are officially married, but didn't say any vows and stuff?" Rigel asked, looking intrigued. Jacob nodded, sighing.

"Wasn't the most romantic thing." He looked up at his friends. "I'm only going through with this cause I know Solely would've wanted a big wedding." 

"Just think of it as a party!" Brian said happily. "And at least you're getting a honeymoon this time!" he said with a wink. Jacob flushed deeply and stared at his cousin for a few moments before he shook his head fiercely.  

"Nope. I'm not going. Can't do it. She's going to curse me in Spanish until I'm permanently purple, but I don't care. I've never felt like this before…" Jacob moaned, covering his mouth as if he was going to vomit. "Solely will kill me if I barf on her dress, another reason why I can't go!"

With a huge roll of their eyes, Anthony and Brian each grabbed one of the groom's arms, and Rigel pushed him from behind. Jacob's heels were digging into his rug as he struggled to stay in his room.

"Please,_ please_ don't make me do it, we're married, I don't need everyone in the universe to hear how I feel about her!" he yelled, grabbing the frame of the door.

Anthony and Brian were now pulling his legs out into the hallway, and Rigel was prying Jacob's fingers off the door.

"Mr. I-love-being-the-center-of-attention has stage fright!" Anthony said in a singsong voice as they finally got Jacob into the hallway. He made a dash for his room, but Rigel had already locked and charmed the door. 

He looked ready to faint, but when Ron called up from downstairs, "Time to go! C'mon, can't be late or your mother will kill _me_!" Jacob was the first one to make his way to the first floor. 

The three shared an amused look, and with a deep breath, they followed the groom. 

Emily Weasley was running around frantically in her light green robes, looking for her little sister and cousin. She had been in charge of watching Delaney and Ben before the wedding took place, and the second she had turned her back the two had disappeared. 

Pushing a loose curl behind her ear, Emily raced to the side of The Burrow, hoping that the toddlers had found the old sandbox the children used to play in. She would have to ask her mother or aunt to remove the sand from their tiny dress robes. 

"Watch it, Laney," a soft voice said, and when the redhead was close enough, she realized that Ewan Finnegan was standing beside the sandbox, smiling brightly as he lifted Delaney up into his arms. "You don't want to get dirty for your brother's wedding, do you?"

The little girl patted his head with a shovel, making him squint his eyes. Ben found this hysterical, and fell onto his bottom as he continued to laugh, surely messing up his robes.

"Oy, Benny!" Emily hissed, rushing over and sweeping him up. The redhead was still laughing, and he clung to her neck with a tight grip. The girl sighed softly and looked over to Ewan, who looked a bit embarrassed to have a two-year old smacking a shovel on his head. "Delaney, you stop that right now!" 

Her little sister dropped the shovel, pulling an angry face. Delaney buried her head in Ewan's shoulder, and he shrugged.

"It wasn't bothering me that much," he said, bouncing the baby in his arms. "I bumped into them when my mum told me to go out here and look for you…" His face flushed, and he smiled softly.

"I'm so glad you found them, my mother would've killed me if I had lost these two!" she said, rubbing her nose with Benjamin's. The boy giggled again, his green eyes shining.   

"Oh!" Ewan exclaimed, his blush deepening. He put Delaney down (she immediately went for the shovel), and pulled something from his robe pocket (he was wearing a very stylish set of scarlet robes). In his hand was a rectangular box wrapped in shining blue paper. "Happy Birthday, Emmy." 

Emily felt her face heat up as she put Benjamin down on the ground. She stepped towards Ewan and her heart raced with anticipation.

"But…I thought the necklace was my present…" 

Ewan laughed, shaking his head.

"No, no! The key on the chain is part of the real present!" 

The redhead blushed in embarrassment, and pulled the chain out from under her robes; she had been wondering why he had chosen a key for the charm. 

He gave her the gift, watching carefully as she unwrapped it. She tried not to rip the paper and she managed to slip of the present without a single tear. The paper dropped to the floor, however, and Emily released an amazed gasp. 

It was a small, dark wooden box. Engraved on top and painted bright colors was a garden of wild flowers. A golden lock held the box closed, and the redhead looked up from the gorgeous box to stare into Ewan's light blue eyes. 

He seemed to be holding his breath, for his face was turning slightly purple. When he saw her excited eyes, he opened his mouth to explain,

"It's a jewelry box, and…erm…the flowers…they really smell, so it makes your room smell nice…not that it _doesn't_ smell nice…" Ewan said, looking down at his feet. Emily put the box down on the edge of the sandbox, and the second she stood up she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

With a soft squeak, Ewan slunk his arms around her waist.

"I _love _it!" she squealed, pulling away and smiling brightly. "It's beautiful, it's perfect!" 

Ewan couldn't help but smile as widely as Emily was, and quickly, hoping that no one was near, he gave her a soft kiss on the lips. 

The redhead was floating on air, and she kissed his nose, breaking away and grabbing Benjamin by the hand (he was about to jump into the sandbox, cannonball style).

"We'll have more time for that _after_ the ceremony!" she called over her shoulder, grinning as she watched Ewan pick up her baby sister (who was surprisingly sand free), his face a deep crimson. 

The backyard of The Burrow had been transformed into a ravishing garden, with the help of Jacob's many aunts and uncles, who were all willing to pitch in and help out the quickie wedding. 

Two sections of white chairs were placed on both sides of a white carpet, six rows with eight in each. At the head of the carpet was a small white gazebo with flowers climbing up the pillars and making a remarkable canopy. Bubbles and tiny fairies were fluttering around, giving off an enchanted feeling. 

The master of ceremonies, the Minister of Magic himself, Arthur Weasley, was standing in the entrance of the gazebo, looking misty as if remembering the many weddings he had attended. He would perform the traditional Wizard wedding ceremony, much to the delight of the bride and groom. 

The seats were perfectly full, the Weasleys and friends on the left, and the Diego family and friend on the right. Hermione sat in the front row, her handkerchief already wet from all the crying she had done this morning. Ron sat in the aisle seat his arm around his weeping wife, and with his free hand was giving the 'thumbs up' sign to his son. 

Jacob Weasley, seemingly calm, stood on the step below his grandfather, watching the back door of The Burrow as if it had all of life's answers. He looked incredibly handsome now that his face had regained some color. The redhead unconsciously smoothed out his robes as he waited for the music to begin. 

He looked over the crowd, recognizing almost everyone on his family's side, but only the first row of Soledad's. Her mother was also crying, and her little brother, a soon to be second year Hufflepuff, Alonso, was patting her awkwardly on the back. Joaquin Diego, looking spiffy in his black robes, winked at Jacob, who was still a bit star-struck. 

It was then that a slow, beautiful marching piece rang out throughout the backyard. Jacob was having a heard time figuring out where the music came from, but he stopped worrying when the back door of The Burrow opened. 

Delaney Weasley and Benjamin Potter were in the lead, Delaney with a little basket of rose petals and Ben with a pillow that was carefully balancing the couple's wands. Harry and Ginny Potter were grinning madly at their youngest, while Rose videotaped the entire event. When they reached the end, Delaney dropped the basket and rushed to her mother, who enveloped her in a hug. Ben stood by Jacob's side, watching the wands as if his life depended on them.

The first couple out was Anthony and Taylor, both in matching blue robes. Jacob was amazed at how well the two looked together, and he couldn't help but snicker softly; everyone had thought that they'd be the first to get married. 

When the two were about halfway through the aisle, the next couple appeared, Brian and Sarah. They two looked very nice, and Jacob was happy that his cousin had found someone shorter than him; Brian was probably the shortest of the Weasley men. 

Then came Rigel and Marisel, looking the oddest, but still very nice, out of all the couples. Marisel was five years older than her partner and she didn't seem to paying that much attention to him. Silent tears were leaking out of her eyes, and Rigel looked as if he was trying to find a way of consoling her without stopping their walk. 

The music then disappeared and was replaced by a much louder, more familiar march. All the guests stood up, and Jacob felt his knees wobble. Something poked him in the side, and he turned to see Anthony's grinning face. He smiled back, but his face lost all color as the back doors opened again. 

Carlos Diego was putting on the toughest face he could, but it was a losing battle. His lips twitched with tears as he began to slowly walk his youngest daughter down her wedding aisle. Jacob felt his face regain the heat it lost, and his heart was now pounding so hard that he looked down at his chest to see if he could see it. When he looked back up, his bride was almost there.

Soledad shimmered in the afternoon light, a smile permanently plastered to her face. Her hazel eyes were hidden behind the long veil, and her dress dragged beautifully on the ground. Jacob had never seen anything quite like her, and when they had reached the gazebo and Carlos had given him Soledad's hand, the redhead still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. 

Arthur Weasley straightened up and grinned at his grandson, then looked up at the audience.

"Good afternoon, friends and family, it is my honor to be conducting this miraculous ceremony in the wonderment that is my home. We are all gathered here today to celebrate the union of Jacob Arthur Weasley and Soledad Rosalyn Diego, even though they have _already_ been joined." The audience laughed as Jacob squeezed her hand. 

"This ceremony is said to be what officially connects two wizards, but, anyone who has ever gone through it knows that it is just a time to celebrate ones love. I am sure that this young couple already knows how much they truly care for each other, even without the words they are about to recite.

"But, this is always so much fun," he said with a smile. "So let me stop rambling and get on with the good stuff." Arthur looked down at the couple, and then at the roll of parchment he was holding. "The blessed vows are going to appear in midair in front of the couple, the words in pink shall be read by Soledad, and the words in blue by Jacob. Once complete, the wands will be joined and the union will be complete. Are you ready?"

Jacob and Soledad, who were still staring into each other's eyes, nodded, barely hearing what the Minister of Magic had said, but already having memorized the vows. Arthur tapped the parchment, and it dissolved into a small gray cloud. It then began to form a blue sentence.

"I promise my attention and my patience," Jacob said, his throat tight. The words then melded into another sentence, this time pink.

"_Prometo mis chistes y mi risa,_" Soledad said, translating 'I promise my jokes and my laughter' into her native language. At this, her mother began to bawl, making a couple of people chuckle.

"I promise a home and a family."

"_Prometo mi alegría y mis lágrimas_."

"I promise fun and prosperity." 

"_Prometo la libertad y la seguridad_."

"I promise a love," Jacob choked, his eyes filled with tears. He was determined not to cry, but the tears on her cheeks were making it harder to do so. "That will last as long as my spirit resides on this earth."

"_Prometo un corazón_," she began to cry, and Jacob took her face in his hands, though it felt awkward through the veil. "_Que tendrá para siempre ese amor_."

The cloud of words disappeared and the audience clapped softly, making the couple blush deeply. 

"Now," Arthur began, wiping at his own eyes. This ceremony still touched him, even after the many he's performed. "For the joining of the wands. Benjamin?" 

Ben slowly made his way towards his grandfather, and with a wide grin, he lifted the pillow holding the wands up. Jacob and Soledad took their respective wands, wiping their eyes before Arthur continued.

"This tradition has been occurring in Wizard weddings for centuries, and some say it is the ultimate act between two people in love. When the joining is complete, each wand will now have half of the essence of their partner's, making a complete one out of the two. Please, follow my instructions. Put the tips of the wands together." 

The couple did as they were told, both wands shaking softly as they waited for their next direction. Arthur flipped his wand out as well, and pointed it at the connected wands. 

"Now, repeat this incantation,_ Per sempre nell'amore." _

"_Per sempre nell'amore_."

"_Per sempre nell'amore_."

At the moment both had said the words, a golden light had begun to grow from the tips of the wands, and it shot down to the handle, making the wands glow brightly. 

Jacob felt an incredible warmth coming from it, and looked up into Soledad's eyes to see that she was staring directly at him, a soft smile on her face. 

The wands' glow died down and a round of applause erupted from the audience. The couple blushed deeply, pulling their wands apart. 

"Well," Arthur Weasley said, clapping his hands together. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said with a wink towards Jacob. "You may now kiss the bride." 

Without hesitation, Jacob lifted her veil up from her face, and caught Soledad in a tender kiss, making the audience clap again, this time louder and lasting longer. The bride had thrown her arms around her husband's neck, and when they parted, they laughed happily at the crowd of family and friends. 

Later that night, fireworks shot off every few minutes, compliments of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The chairs had been removed, and now a large white tent hung over the backyard, a dance floor in the center of numerous round tables. 

  
A long table, not unlike the Head Table at Hogwarts, had been set up nearest the house, and the guests of honor were all out of their chairs, dancing. 

The recent Hogwarts graduates were mingling, happy to have a reason to see each other so soon after only a few weeks. Cousins ran around, their red, blonde, brown, black hair all over the place. Joaquin Diego was being swarmed by some of the men, all asking questions and Molly Weasley was telling Rosa Diego that all the food was "Nothing, really!" 

The parents of the groom sat at their table, watching their children dance and have fun. Hermione's tears had stopped a while ago, after the speeches made by the best man and maid of honor. With the help of magic, her makeup had remained perfect, even throughout all of her crying.  Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun, and she wore a set of purple robes. 

Ron sat beside his wife, one hand in hers and the other holding a glass of champagne. Looking dashing in his black robes, he scanned the area for any sign of a ruckus, but the only wild happenings were the dance steps of his brother Fred and his wife Angelina. Those two still had quite a flare for the art of dance. 

"Can you imagine doing this three more times?" Hermione asked him, sighing and leaning her head into his shoulder. "I don't think I have enough tears in me."

"Then don't cry anymore," Ron answered simply, laughing at the huff she sent towards him. 

"I can't help it, they're my babies and now they're off to have babies of their own…" 

"Not yet they're not," he said soothingly, letting go of her hand to wrap it around her shoulders. She had started to sound weepy again, and to stop her tears from falling, Ron kissed her cheek. "They're not going to abandon us, we'll see them almost everyday, and when they _do_ have kids of their own, we'll get to help them along the way." 

Hermione sniffled and nodded, watching as Ewan Finnegan tentatively placed a hand on Emily's hip. The two slowly began to waltz to the music, and Hermione was adoring the look of happiness on her daughter's face. 

The couple passed Harry and Ginny, who weren't dancing with each other. Instead, The-Boy-Who-Lived was spinning around with Delaney Weasley in his arms, making the little girl laugh ecstatically. Ginny held her Benjamin closely, and his head was lying on her shoulder as the two rocked softly to the music.

A few feet away from them Taylor and Anthony danced, both chatting animatedly. Hermione smiled at the brightness of their eyes as they stared at each other, and she was so happy that the two finally had everyone's blessing. She couldn't wait for their wedding, which, since there was going to be more time, would be even more elaborate than today's. 

Finally, Hermione's eyes rested on the bride and groom, who were swaying slowly in each other's arms, Soledad's head on Jacob's chest. The smiles on their faces were ones the older woman could relate to, and unconsciously, she shifted closer to Ron. 

Her mind drifted to when the twins were home the winter of their fifth year. It had been the first Christmas with Delaney, who had been born in October. Sitting under the Christmas tree, laughing as Anthony's present burst open as a joke, she and Ron kissing under the mistletoe, and the three children fighting over who got to hold their baby sister. 

Hermione realized, though it should have been obvious from their experience at Hogwarts, that her children were well on their way to becoming very successful. 

First, Jacob with his Quidditch career. He was set to leave for camp in less than a week, and the Cannons had finally sent a letter; Ron almost fainted when his son told him. The newlywed had also mentioned some interest in the new Quidditch League that was being set up in the States, saying that he'd like to be one of the originals and try to create a large fan base for the foreign sport. 

Anthony, who, during his 'dismal' first week of vacation, had received many job offerings was also beginning his career. Unknown to everyone but Hermione, and maybe Taylor, Anthony had been accepted for internship with the Council of Magical Law, which meant that he would be sitting in on actual court cases held by the Wizengamot, preparing himself to actually be the one conducting the cases someday.  

Of course, Emily was too young to truly be thinking about her future, but from the files Professor Flitwick had left her, Hermione was proud to say that her daughter was bound to get an O in Charms next year on her O.W.L.s. Her other grades were quite impressive as well, and Emily's parents were starting to believe that they had a Head Girl in the making. 

Delaney, though she could barely speak, was already showing a tremendous amount of magical power. Just the other day while Hermione was sweeping up the kitchen, her youngest had somehow managed to levitate her toy broom and was mimicking her mother's actions without touching the broom. 

With a sigh, Hermione resolved that she was very content with her life. 

"We've done a good job," she whispered, turning and burying her face into her husband's shoulder. Ron, who had been watching all of his kids as well, nodded and leaned his head on his wife's.

"Yes, a _damn_ good job." 

::cries::

Epilogue coming soon, with kiddies for our twins :) 


	28. The New Weasley Twins

**Weasley's the Name**

Epilogue- Twenty Years Later

He strolled down the busy streets of New York City, his hands in his pockets in a futile attempt at keeping warm. The tall redheaded man felt as if his nose was going to fall right off, and he thanked his wife silently for the earmuffs she madehim buy (though he had forgotten his gloves on their dresser).

No one noticed that he wore deep crimson cloaks instead of the latest fashion trends, not that he would, being a grown man in his late-thirties. No one noticed that a long slender piece of wood stuck out from his pocket, ready to be used at any moment. When in the Big Apple, no one would care to notice the man.

You wouldn't of course, if you weren't looking for him. It was easy for him to mingle between his crowd and the Muggles. His mother was Muggle-born, and she made sure that he and his siblings knew the Muggle world as well as they did their own, just in case something should happen, not that anything ever did.

Well, except that time he shot, but really, that wasn't _his_ fault.

He stumbled into his apartment complex as the wind blew a nasty breeze. The snow had just started to fall and Jacob Arthur Weasley was glad that he didn't get stuck in it. He and his family had already had their share of New England blizzards.

The thought made him chuckle, _nothing_ was like good ol' England.

The redhead nodded at someone he recognized from the building as they checked their mail. The woman was a Muggle, a rather young looking one, and she had no problem making 'eyes' at him. If she had been a witch, she would've known that he was married to the world-renowned Healer, Soledad Diego.

The woman had long blonde hair with sparkling blue eyes that batted their long eyelashes at him. Jacob couldn't help but blush slightly as he tapped his foot while he waited for the elevator.

"So, what floor do you live on?" the woman asked, obviously trying to get catch his attention. He turned his eyes to her, smiling oddly.

"Er…thirteenth," Jacob answered slowly. Her eyes widened slightly, but she shrugged and swaggered towards him, taking a spot next to him in front of the elevator.

"Do you?" she said simply. "Never seen anyone come down those stairs…my name's Jocelyn, by the way."

Jacob had to hold back a snicker at her name, and he turned to her, smiling,

"Is that _so_? I had a girlfriend name Jocelyn once, bit of a weirdo, she was."

Jocelyn seemed to be interested, so as the elevator doors opened, Jacob continued his story.

"She used to make potions and levitate objects with the flick of her wand." He watched as the blonde seemed to stare at him differently.

Maybe she was beginning to think she was insane.

"Oh, and there was this one time she turned a needle into a match! That was kind of cool, but since I was able to do it _so _much better…"

"_You_?" Jocelyn interrupted. She put her hands on her hips as the elevator doors slid open. "Ugh, you're lucky you're cute, those pick up lines are _horrible_!" And she stormed out and onto her floor.

Jacob doubled over in laughter as the doors shut and the elevator continued up to the last floor. He _loved_ teasing Muggles (playfully, of course), but he knew his mother would kill him if she found out. Which is one of the reasons he had moved to New York in the first place.

The doors opened and Jacob stepped out. The lofts on the thirteenth floor were invisible to Muggles, explaining why Jocelyn had never seen people come down the stairs or elevator. She didn't want to seem stupid, because to Muggles, there _was _no thirteenth floor. If they pushed the button for thirteen, it simply wouldn't glow.

The door to his family's loft was painted a bright red, with five pairs of handprints in yellow paint splattered over it. This was done with a little help from magic (okay, a lot of help) because the handprints grew with the children. Two yellow hearts on either side of the peephole were the only other designs on the door.

He placed a charm on his shoulder so the aching pain that was starting to throb would disappear for at least the night. He didn't need his wife to worry about an old injury, especially with the kids.

Taking a deep breath, Jacob strode into his house, his arms wide as if he expected something to jump into them.

"Papa's home!" he screamed, closing his eyes and rooting his feet to the spot.

"_Papa!_" a little voice screamed, and Jacob opened his eyes just in time to see his youngest son running towards him at top speed.

Joaquin Weasley jumped into his father's arms, his hazel eyes shining and his curly brown hair bouncing around his head. Jacob spun around with his three year old and smiled.

"What's up, little man?" he asked, carrying Joaquin on his hip and heading towards the kitchen to check out the mail that the owl post left on the table. The little boy shrugged softly, leaning his head on his father's shoulder.

"Nut-ing. Matt yelled at me."

Jacob smirked softly as he flipped through a Quidditch magazine that had come in the post.

Matthew was his oldest son. He looked like an older version of Joaquin, but his personality was anything but bubbly. He had quite a mouth on him, and was reprimanded daily for being rude to his siblings.

In the magazine he saw a picture of himself, and Joaquin giggled and pointed. He looked at his son and poked the boy's forehead with his nose.

"Think it's funny, huh?"

"It _is _funny," a female voice said, and Jacob saw a pair of hazel eyes peeking up from across the table. He smiled, and beckoned with his other hand for his daughter to come over. The five-year-old Caitlyn happily obliged, hugging her father tightly around the waist.

"How's my favorite redhead doing?" he asked, messing up her tight ringlets of red hair. Caitlyn pushed her father's hands away and tried to fix up her hair (it was pointless though, it was frizzy to no ends).

"I'm _fine_ Papa, I was helping Mama with the _pa_cking." Jacob looked up from the magazine to his daughter,

"Packing?"

Caitlyn nodded happily,

"Yep! We're going to _Eng_land! Mama got a letter from Nana!" She smiled brightly, her eyes dazzling. "We're going for Christmas!" Joaquin screamed excitedly in Jacob's ear and hugged his father tightly around the neck.

"Caitlyn, you're _'orrible _at keeping secrets," the woman of the house said from across the living room. Soledad leaned on the doorway of the master bedroom, smiling widely as she took in the sight of her husband.

Caitlyn covered her mouth in horror; she hadn't known it was going to be a secret. Soledad laughed at her daughter's expression and shook her head softly.

"Eets not eh problem, I 'ave an even _beegger_ secret."

She strolled over in form fitting blue jeans and a light blue sweater. Her hair was tied up in a very frizzy bun, but Jacob was more than happy to supply her with a kiss.

"Ew…" Joaquin moaned, sliding out of his father's grasp. With free arms, Jacob pulled his wife into his arms and held her close, leaning his head on hers.

"What's the other surprise?" he murmured into her curls. Soledad sighed and squeezed him close,

"_Everyone's _going to be dere," she almost whispered. Jacob's eyes widened and he looked down at his wife in disbelief.

"_No way_! The whole family hasn't been together in ten years!"

Anthony Remus Weasley was tired. His last case had gone on much longer than he had thought it would, but at least the Wizengamot seemed to be pleased. He wondered when his boss, Amelia Bones, was going to announce her retirement; that could earn him a few days of relaxation.

Finally, he was able to lie peacefully on the couch of his two-story house. Their dog, a small beagle named Pig, circled on the rug in front of the couch and went to sleep seemingly with him.

"_Shh…_" a little voice whispered.

Anthony held in a sigh as the footsteps of his youngest crept towards him and past Pig. He felt the movement of something centimeters from his face, and cracked one eye open.

A little boy with bright blue eyes and light blonde hair was looking down at him, a wide grin on his face.

"Hullo Will," Anthony whispered, pulling William Weasley into a lying position next to him. The four-year-old giggled happily, and snuggled under his father's arm.

"Nana waiting for you to say you hea. She in the _fire_."

Raising a hand and waving it, Anthony heard a slight huff and the flare of the fire. He loved that his mother still knew when he was too tired to move.

It was an hour or two before the slamming of the front door and the swishing of bags and skirts stirred the two on the couch awake. Will sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking towards the front door.

"_Mummy!_" he shrieked, his sleepiness disappearing immediately, and he jumped off the couch and raced towards his mother. Anthony propped himself up on his elbows and turned around to look at the scene.

Taylor dropped her belongings a second before Will jumped into her arms and hugged him tightly, motioning for another blonde to move the bags.

Cordelia Weasley picked up the bags, her long swishy hair loose around her head. She sent a smile towards her father, and then the twelve-year-old disappeared down the hallway.

Anthony sat up and stretched as Taylor and Will plopped onto the couch besides him, talking about their day. Apparently it had been a girls' day out, and little Will was sent to his grandparents' house. It was good for Taylor to be home, her latest play, _To Kill a Unicorn,_ had been a great success and was now selling out every show.

"Were my boys sleeping?" the blonde asked, tossing her shoulder length hair out of her face. Will nodded, wiggling off of his mother's lap and in between his parents. He leaned over Taylor and found Anthony's glasses on the side table,

"Hea, Daddy," he said politely, putting them on his father's face. Anthony grinned and mussed up his son's blonde hair.

"Thanks Will. How was Nana and Pop-pop's house?" he asked, wrapping an arm around the little boy and Taylor. Will shrugged and began smacking his sneakers,

"Fine. Nana gave me books. They in my room. I like weeding."

Anthony and Taylor shared a grin over the boy's head. It excited them that their son was exceptionally bright in academics.

"_Mum_! Nana left something in my _room_!" Cordelia screamed, though she didn't sound frightened. Anthony, Taylor, and Will were used to such screams; the second-year Gryffindor didn't have any problems expressing her feelings.

"Come on, let's go see what the Banshee is shrieking about," Anthony said under his breath. Taylor glared at him, but she couldn't help the smirk that was creeping onto her face.

The lone redhead of the house lifted Will up onto his shoulders and the three headed towards Cordelia's room.

When they reached the girl's room, Anthony noticed she was wearing something different from what she had been when she entered the house.

Her wispy blue skirt was barely visible under the enormous Weasley jumper she now had on (it was pink with a yellow 'C' outlined in black).

Taylor immediately headed to the pile of sweaters on her daughters bed, and it looked to Anthony to be more than four. His wife tossed him his and Will's (Will's had a yellow 'W' on green, while Anthony's had a yellow 'A' on a red background).

"You think she had a lot of yellow yarn?" Taylor said sarcastically, revealing her sweater to be yellow with a dark blue 'T'.

"Apparently. Why d'you think she sent these? And what are those others?"

Taylor grinned and lifted up another red sweater. Anthony's jaw dropped as his eyes fell upon the 'J' that was imprinted on it.

"Wh-wha-_what_? Is she implying that _we're _housing those Yankees? _And _your brother's family?" he said with fake anger. Although he was a bit worried, that was _a lot _of people.

Taylor shrugged and picked up a piece of parchment that was lying beside the pile of sweaters (four more were piled up).

"Looks like it. I bet she didn't know about Malcolm and the girls. She says that Emily and Delaney are staying with them. Delaney's so far along now that she's ready to burst, and Emily's boys…well, you know how they are." Taylor grinned and threw the paper up in the air.

"Let's start arranging this," Anthony moaned, putting Will on the ground. The little boy tugged his sweater on over his head and looked in the mirror Cordelia was admiring herself in.

Will giggled, and his sister darted her eyes towards him. He pointed towards her reflection and said,

"_That's_ what a Banshee looks like."

"Oh I'm _so _excited!" Hermione Granger-Weasley squealed, stringing garland around the banister of her house. Her youngest, Delaney O'Keefe, stood with her hands on her back, her huge stomach protruding under her blue dress. Her husband, Marcus, would be out until after dinner that night, and he was a bit nervous at meeting her entire family in one sitting.

Delaney was already a bit of an oddball in the family; she was the first Weasley in four generations to be Sorted into a House other than Gryffindor. She was the perfect example of a Ravenclaw and she used her wits to become Head Girl and a prominent journalist for The Daily Prophet.

Her husband, who added to her eccentricity, was a Slytherin a year above her, but he made up for it by being Head Boy and captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He was now a photographer for The Daily Prophet, which is where the two fell in love.

"When are they arriving?" she asked, tossing her brown curls over her shoulders.

Delaney waddled over to the couch and plopped down, praying that her pregnancy would be over soon. Hermione pushed some hair out of her face and sent a plate of carrots and celery to the coffee table.

"Anthony and everyone should be here already, but maybe Will's being fussy. The Yanks' Portkey is set for--"

There was an explosion of chatter from down the hall, and Hermione's eyes widened as she raced out of the room.

("Ron, did you change the time _like I told you to_?!" "Er…sorry.")

Delaney smirked; she was _not _standing up after just sitting down, so, she waited patiently for the guests.

Because of Jacob and Soledad's hectic schedule, it had been almost ten years since they had been able to visit England, and although she didn't look it, Delaney was excited about having more kids around the house.

She and her parents had visited them, as did Anthony and Emily, but it wasn't quite the same. Out of the New York Weasleys, only Jacob had been able to attend her wedding, so it was quite a shock to see the family walk in.

"Laney!" Jacob exclaimed, dropping his bag on a chair and sliding on his knees in front of his littlest sister…well, not physically, anyway. She smiled brightly and hugged him the best she could, and giggled at the way he ogled her stomach. "_Bloody hell, _when's this bugger gonna pop?"

"Your accent comes back so quickly," Soledad said, leaning in and kissing Delaney on the cheeks, "You look _radiant_." She smiled, looking almost misty. Then, Hermione and Ron came into the room with the children following cautiously.

Hermione seemed to glow as she picked up Joaquin, and he didn't know whether to tremble or giggle at her gaze. Caitlyn seemed very interested in fairies floating around in the branches of the Christmas tree, and Ron bent down to catch one for her.

"_Oy_, I _hate_ Portkeys," Jacob groaned, leaning back into the couch and swinging his arms around his sister and wife. "Can't you invent something, Mum? Some sort of Charm that'll like, _poof_, and we're here?"

"Like _Apparating_?" a voice dripping with sarcasm said.

Jacob rolled his eyes, but the other adults in the room turned to see Matthew leaning against the doorframe, looking somber.

Hermione didn't seem to notice his foul mood and she walked over and pulled him into a hug, with Joaquin still in her arms.

"_Goodness_, you're so big! You were just a little first year last time I saw you!" Her eyes grew watery and she wiped at them. "I'm feeling _terribly _old right now." She turned to Joaquin, forcing a smile, "Would you like to play with your dad's old toy brooms? They float around and everything!"

Joaquin's eyes grew wide at the prospect, and he nodded enthusiastically.

Soledad smirked slightly; she didn't allow her children to have such toys because of the position of their house. She _did _trust Hermione…but still,

"I'm going to go watch them," she said suddenly, standing up and speeding out of the room. Matthew rolled his eyes as his mother brushed by him and dropped himself into a chair by the door.

The teen looked miserable and rather out of place in the bubbly atmosphere. Jacob wanted his son to enjoy this vacation, but it was rather hard when the boy hated everything he suggested.

It was then that a roaring voice came from the stairway,

"_NICOLAS _RONALD_ FINNEGAN!_"

Caitlyn covered her ears and fell into Ron's arms. The grandfather rolled his eyes at the scream and picked up his granddaughter.

"Three…two…one…" he counted down, and the sound of thundering feet came racing through the living room.

The oldest son of Emily and Ewan Finnegan tumbled into the room, his short blonde hair spiked up at various angles. Nicolas looked up and smiled at the crowd that was staring at him oddly.

"Oh, hullo there," he said. The second year Gryffindor stood up and straightened out his shirt. He noticed the new arrivals, and he rushed towards his uncle, "Did you bring your broom?" he asked quickly, after Jacob released him from his hug.

Before he could answer, Emily burst into the room, her red hair messy around her face

Her eyes narrowed as she saw her son standing in the middle of the living room, and she strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"_Nicolas_," she said through gritted teeth. "_Where _is your brother?"

Jacob chuckled slightly as his sister clearly reminded him of their mother. Emily turned her glare on him, but when she realized whom it was, her eyes softened and she smiled.

"Fancy seeing you here, Yankee," she said, letting go of her son to embrace her brother.

Nicolas took this as an opportunity to escape his mother's wrath, so he tried to sneak by Matthew and through to the kitchen, but nine-year old Brandon came in, tears streaming out of his eyes.

The boy's hair was a bright sky blue that matched his eyes perfectly. Nicolas tried to keep his laughter inside, but his little brother noticed and began to silently tear more. Brandon was furious at his brother, but he didn't dare rat him out.

Matthew eyed his cousins with amusement as Nicolas tried to quiet Brandon before his mother loss interest with her brother.

Brandon looked up at his older cousin, and his tears seemed to stop, he suddenly looked very interested. Matthew grew immediately worried; he wasn't very good with children.

"Can you change it back?" the little boy whispered, touching his hair tentatively.

Matthew bit his tongue and he squirmed uncomfortably under the gaze of the two boys. He wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school…but that was in New York…across an ocean…surely they couldn't tell from that far?

Quickly, the teen pulled out his wand, and tapped his cousin's head twice ("_Finite Incantatem._"), turning the hair back to its bright red color.

"Thanks!" Brandon shrieked, throwing his arms around Matthew's neck. The teen looked terrified, but he hugged the boy back nonetheless. The little redhead took this as an invitation, and he clambered onto Matthew's lap, smiling happily at the family around the room.

"_Aw_! Look who has a new playmate!" Jacob joked, making his son sneer at him.

"_Weeeeeee_!" a high-pitched voice screeched, and soon, Joaquin came zooming in the room. He wasn't going very fast, and was about two feet off the ground, but the little boy was absolutely _thrilled _to be riding on a broom by himself. Soledad, on the other hand, looked as if she was going to throw up.

"Not so fast! _¡Espera!_" she called, rushing to catch up with him.

"_Ja_cob, your wife needs to relax a little!" Hermione appeared seconds later, giggling at the sight. He just rolled his eyes and shrugged,

"Nah, it's just that they're _your_ grandchildren and _you_ want to spoil them! Don't you remember how you used to hate it when Grandma Weasley would give us stuff like that?"

"_Very_ true," Ron said, standing up with Caitlyn in his arms; she was still very busy trying to catch a fairy. "She and my mother had _such _a row one Easter, you remember?"

By the redness of Hermione's face, she did, and Emily took this as a hint to change the subject,

"Where is Grandma Weasley, anyway?"

"Oh, she and Dad went to Hawaii for the winter," Ron said with a huge grin, "Can you imagine? After _all _these years, they finallyget to go on a vacation alone!"

It was then that the doorbell rang, and Hermione rushed to the door (Everyone had to come through the front door because Hermione refused to have all the ash from the fire place floating around the house with Delaney pregnant).

"Happy Christmas!" a lot of cheery voices screamed, and in walked Harry and Ginny Potter, with their youngest son and his fiancée in tow.

Benjamin Jeffery Potter was extremely tall and skinny with red hair and bright green eyes. He was also Sorted into Gryffindor and was the first Potter since James to become Head Boy (or Head anything, Rose Potter did not become Head Girl).

Behind him, holding his hand tightly, was a short blonde girl with perfect curls falling around her face. Her name was Theresa Creevey, youngest daughter of Dennis Creevey; it had excited the hell out of her father and uncle when she brought a Potter home.

"Hullo Weasleys!" Harry exclaimed, pointing his wand towards the tree. With a spark, a tower of presents appeared, causing all of the children to race excitedly towards the pile.

"Not yet!" Emily yelled, grabbing her two boys' by their collars. Nicolas and Brandon groaned, but trudged to the couch with their mother.

_"Benjamin!_" Jacob exclaimed, standing up to shake the young man's hand. "Long time no see!" He looked behind the tall man (who was slightly taller than him) to the petite girl that was smiling shyly. "And _hello _to you!"

Theresa blushed furiously and shook Jacob's hand, looking extremely nervous to be spending dinner with her future family.

"It's a damn full house, isn't it?" Harry said, taking the cloaks of his family and sending them over to a chair in the library.

"Half the party's not here yet!" Hermione squealed, looking absolutely elated that her house was going to become something close to an asylum in a few minutes. Ron didn't look quite as pleased, but Caitlyn bouncing in his arms was enough to keep his mind off of all the guests.

"Oh, _Delaney_!" Ginny cooed, sitting by her youngest niece, "When are you due, darling?"

The pregnant woman rolled her eyes, tapping her stomach with impatient hands.

"Five days ago, I'm bloody ready to start pushing now if this little bugger doesn't get a move on," she snarled, glaring at the bulge under her dress.

"Solely was just as nasty," Jacob said in a whisper to Harry, who nodded his head towards Ginny with a mischievous grin on his face.

"_Wooooooooooooo!_" Joaquin screamed as he raced through the room again, an immense look of glee in his eyes.

Soledad was rushing behind him, but Jacob grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto the couch beside him. He kissed her fiercely on the lips, much to their children's dismay, and when they parted, Soledad didn't look as worried about her son as she had.

Hermione dragged Emily and Ginny into the kitchen while Nicolas and Brandon stayed under the watchful eye of their great uncle Harry. Benjamin and Theresa took a seat next to Jacob and Soledad, admiring what their family might look like some day.

Ron and Caitlyn had bounced to the window, and with a wild wave of her arms, everyone in the room knew that some new guests were approaching.

"They're here!" she shrieked, wiggling out of her grandfather's arms and racing to the front door.

Jacob stood up, peering out towards the entrance of the house, looking like he was trying to hold back his excitement; it had been a long time since he saw his brother. Soledad took his hand, and he looked down at his wife, a tiny grin on his face.

When Caitlyn opened the door, she was swept up into the arms of another grandparent, though not her own. Draco Malfoy held the little girl over his head, looking very pleased to have made her giggle.

"Why if it isn't our little Kate! How _are_ you doing?" he asked in a voice that Ron and Harry would _never_ get used to.

Caitlyn laughed again and hugged him, remembering the elaborate dollhouse he had sent her. Even though Jacob's children were not directly blood, they were still spoiled by their wealthy relative.

As Draco handed Caitlyn over to her mother, Malcolm Malfoy and his two daughters came in, brushing the snow off of their cloaks.

Alisa and Katie Malfoy stood prettily at the foot of the stairs, looking around the new house. At the ages of fifteen and twelve, they were pretty shocked to be inside a Professor's house. The Ravenclaw and Slytherin seemed very nervous about behaving in front of one of their strictest teachers.

"I'm sorry Rachel couldn't make it," Malcolm apologized, shaking Jacob's hand fiercely. "There was some business at the Ministry she had to take care of." His wife worked with Sarah Lee Weasley in the Committee On Experimental Charms. "She sends lots of love and presents!"

Just like Harry, Malcolm pointed his wand towards the tree, and another tower of presents appeared. All the children in the room twitched at the sight of the glittery gifts, but they were aware of the eyes that were watching them.

It was then that the door swung open again, and a little blonde boy ran in, screaming at the top of his lungs. A man the same age as Delaney, who also had the light blonde hair, was chasing him. Michael Malfoy paused a second to wave at everyone in the living room, then went back to his pursuit of William Weasley.

"So many blondes!" Harry laughed as Cordelia strolled in, her fluffy cloak burying the petite girl. She smiled at her great uncle and dramatically slipped her cloak off, tossing it onto a hanger.

Pansy Parkinson caught the cloak as it slipped off the hanger, and waved at everyone before she rushed into the kitchen (she was supposed to be helping Hermione with the dinner and was already late).

As William made his way through the many people in the living room, Jacob hooked him around the waist, swinging the tiny boy up into his arms. Will shrieked in surprise, and hugged his uncle tightly around the neck.

Jacob was so overwhelmed by the fact that he was holding _Anthony's_ son that he didn't even notice that his brother and Taylor had entered and were already saying their hellos.

"Can I have my son back?" Anthony said with a grin as he approached his brother. Jacob's eyes shot open and he laughed, all of his teeth showing in his smile. William jumped into his father's arms, and began to retell the tale of his race with Michael.

"And he _almost_ caught me!" Will finished with a large wave of his arms. Anthony's eyes were wide with excitement from his son's story, and Jacob was very happy with the fact that his twin had a boy.

"That's _amazing_!" Anthony answered, kissing Will affectionately on the forehead. "Why don't you go find Uncle Michael and chase _him_?"

The little boy looked as if that was the most intelligent thing ever said, and wiggled out of his father's arms in search of his uncle. Anthony watched his son run off with a large smile on his face, and then turned back to his brother, pushing up his glasses.

"Would you look at this? A real life Yankee," he joked, grabbing Jacob's hand and pulling him into a brotherly embrace.

"Nah," Jacob said, laughing as they pulled apart. "A lot of the guys are from Europe. We're the ones making fun of the natives," he said with a grin.

Anthony laughed and grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him through the crowd and into the quiet library; he wanted some time to chat alone.

"It's good to see you," Anthony began. "I'm surrounded by women most of the time, especially with Brian gone most of the year, can't _believe_ that boy is at Hogwarts!"

Brian Weasley, after suffering a career ending injury (a Bludger to the head), took the position of Transfiguration teacher when Professor McGonagall moved up to Headmistress. He had been there for about fourteen years now, and he was happily married to the former Head Girl, Sarah Lee.

"Has he managed to turn any of the little buggers into teapots yet?" Jacob asked, sitting down and ruffling Joaquin's head as he zoomed in and out of the room.

"Course not," Anthony said as he conjured two cups and summoned a teapot from the kitchen; he hoped that it didn't hit anyone on the way. It entered the room, and Jacob quickly reached up for it, but he missed and fortunately, Anthony caught it.

"You rusty?" he laughed, pouring some tea into the cups. "When was your last match--Jacob?"

He watched as his brother held his left shoulder in his hand, grimacing greatly at the pain shooting up and down his arm. Anthony rushed around the table, but Jacob pulled away, smiling dismally.

"It's nothing," he said through gritted teeth. "It's the weather…makes my arm do crazy things."

Anthony smirked and shook his head in an unbelieving way. He flipped his wand out and pointed it at the shoulder, muttering an incantation. Jacob's face immediately relaxed, but his eyes avoided his brother's.

"How long has this been happening?" Anthony asked, stating that he didn't believe his twin's lie. Jacob sighed and sunk into his chair.

"Since the match I played after the accident," he muttered, ignoring Anthony's shocked face.

"And you've kept on playing?" he exclaimed, shutting the door with a flick of his wand. "Are you _mad_? You could have permanently injured yourself!"

"I'm _already _permanently injured," Jacob interjected, smirking. "I just put on this charm that stops the pain before the game, makes it all go away."

"Your wife is a _Healer_, why the hell haven't you had her fix it?" Anthony asked as if was the most obvious thing on the planet. Jacob rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"She'd want me to quit--"

"Why _don't _you?" Anthony interrupted, agitated with his brother. "Do you know how much worse this could get? _Jake_, you've done all you can with Quidditch, your team has won _four_ championships, you're the bloody captain, and all of America loves you!"

Jacob sat silently, staring at the table in front of him. He seemed angry, but Anthony did not want to see his brother ruin his career because of something that happened years ago.

"Athletes do this all the time," he continued, pushing up his glasses. "You're successful, the money you're making will support your family for more than enough time, and Soledad's working, so you don't _need_ to be. Wouldn't you like to spend some more time with the little ones?"

He watched as his brother's face paled, and finally, Jacob looked up with sad eyes.

"It hurts more and more after each match," he said softly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. Anthony could almost feel the anguish going through his brother's head. "How do I tell Solely?"

"Just tell her the truth, she'll understand," Anthony answered. "She'll be worried as hell, but she'll understand."

Jacob smiled softly, and they talked about anything and everything until their mother called them for dinner, with her patented teacher voice.

"C'mon," Anthony said, putting his hand out for his brother, who took it with a roll of his eyes. "It's Christmas Eve, let's not worry, just have a good time!"

The dinner table was almost as packed as the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall. All together, there were twenty-four people at having a celebration. Ewan and Marcus had arrived at the same time, and when everyone was seated, the food magically appeared on the table, much to the delight of Hermione ("Oh I'm so happy that worked! Thanks Jacob, for the idea!")

All of the grandparents sat on one end, then came the second generation, and the children sat on the other, all chattering about various things, from Quidditch to schoolwork.

"You know Jacob," Taylor said, after swallowing her turkey. "Sarah and Rachel would _love_ to see some of those charms you come up with, being in the Committee of Experimental Charms, and all."

Jacob's eyes lit up at the mention of this, and he shared a secret look with Anthony, who smiled as he took a drink. Soledad nodded in agreement, waggling a fork at Taylor,

"I've been telling him dat for _years_, but doz 'e listen to me?" She nudged him in the shoulders to show that she was being playful. "Instead of reesking his neck every day playing Quidditch, 'e could be 'elping deh Wizarding commoonity."

"You all could come back and live here," Malcolm interjected, sending an obvious wink towards Jacob and Soledad. "Don't you miss being close to home?"

The Quidditch player nodded softly, staring intently at his mashed potatoes. His wife put a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to look into his eyes.

"We're just joking, Jake," she said soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down. "We aren't trying to force you to do anyting."

"But what if I want to?" he asked suddenly, turning to her quickly and making the whole table grow quite. He grew red, but he continued to stare at Soledad's bewildered face.

"Y-you _want_ to?" she repeated, her eyes never leaving Jacob's. When he nodded, she choked out a laugh. "You'd quit Quidditch and…and come back hea?"

He nodded again, a small smile growing on his face as he watched the same thing happen to his wife.

"_I_ woodn't mind it, could probably get a transfer to St. Mungo's…" she whispered, looking at Anthony and Taylor, who looked equally as excited.

"_Yay_!" Caitlyn screamed, throwing his peas up into the air. "We're movin' to England!"

Joaquin began to clap as well, but Matthew stared at his father with wide, angry eyes. Jacob opened his mouth to say something to his eldest, but the boy had already pushed his chair away from the table and stormed out the room.

"Oh dear…" Hermione said, getting ready to stand up. Ron put a firm hand on her shoulder though, and she sat back down.

Jacob sighed and bit his lip, standing up as well.

"'Scuse me for a second," he said softly, and he followed his son out of the room.

Jacob found Matthew sitting on the curb of the front lawn, his head in his hand and his knees pulled up to his chest. The redhead held in a chuckle as he remembered the many times he had sat out here doing the same thing.

"You gonna listen before you bite my head off?" he asked, sitting down next to his son. Matthew's dark curls fell in front of his eyes, and he grunted something incomprehensible.

"I'll take that as a yes…listen Matt, if you don't want to move, we won't, it's no big deal…"

"You all _want to_," Matthew spat, still not looking at his father. His accent was odd; it was a mix of his father's, mother's, and the city he lived in. "Why should I stand in the way of what makes everyone _else_ happy?"

"Staying in New York wouldn't be horrible, Matt. Everyone is fine with either way, the little ones would forget after a few days…" He stretched his legs out in front of him, kicking some pebbles towards the middle of the street.

His parents had chosen to live in a Muggle area so his Muggle relatives would have no trouble finding them. They also had a car, which Ron had _loads _of fun driving.

"I don't want to be in New York _or _here," Matthew mumbled, scooting away from his father. Jacob smirked and sighed deeply.

"And why not?" he asked, not bothering to avoid the obvious. His son sighed and combed his hand through his hair with a discouraged impression on his face.

"You wouldn't understand…"

"Try me."

Matthew turned to stare straight into his father's eyes. Jacob, examining his son intensely for the first time in months, noticed that he was beginning to look remarkably like he did at fifteen, except for the darker skin and hair. Matt was the only child of Jacob's that had inherited his light blue eyes, and now they were staring at him with contempt.

"Do you know how it feels to be known as 'Jacob Weasley's son'?" Matthew finally said, looking down at the snow as he wiped some away. "That's _all _I am in school! I can't play Quodpot, my grades aren't that good, I'm not in any clubs, and…" his voice died off and he swatted angrily at his eyes.

"And what?" Jacob asked, growing more concerned at his son's sudden revelation.

"And…" he coughed, rubbing his nose. Matthew looked up at the half moon, his shoulders slumping. "Dad, you're going to hate me, I don't know why I'm telling you any of this."

"Now why would I hate you?" Jacob asked, twisting his head to look at Matthew. His son continued to stare up at the sky, and he shrugged, digging his hands into the snow beneath him.

"Cause…I hate not being the only child," he blurted, squinting his eyes and biting his tongue. Jacob's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything for his son opened his mouth again,

"Not that I hate Kat or Joaquin," Matthew added quickly. "It's just…Dad, for _ten years_ I was all alone with just you and Mom…how do you think I felt when you just decided to have another kid, the same year I was going off to school?"

"Caitlyn wasn't exactly _planned_," Jacob began, but he was cut off as Matthew waved his arms around.

"I know, I _know_, but with all the spells and potions we have today, you two couldn't have…_prevented_ accidents?" he said this as his ears burned red. Jacob snorted softly, but tried not to show his amusement at his son's accusation.

"Sorry, Matt--"

"That's _not_ what you have to be sorry for," he interrupted, keeping his eyes away from his father.

"Then _what_? Why are you bouncing around the real problem?" Jacob asked, growing annoyed.

"Dad, what grade am I in?" Matthew asked softly, staring down at his sneakers.

"You're in Fifth Year," his father answered immediately, wondering why he would ask such a question.

His son turned to him, his eyes watering and the glare that was shooting out was full of anger. Jacob's mind raced--_had he gotten the wrong year?_

"I'm in _tenth grade_, Dad," Matthew hissed, his breath shooting out of his mouth like dragon smoke. "I'm _not_ at Hogwarts, I go to The Salem Witches' Institute; we don't _go _by _years_. We go by _grades_. _I'm_ in _tenth grade_. I'm not in Gryffindor or Huffleypuff, I'm just Matthew Anthony Weasley, a _tenth grader _who sits alone in the cafeteria and is only known for having a famous father."

The boy's breathing was ragged as he stared down at the ground, wiping furiously at his eyes. Jacob stared on in shock, not being able to comprehend that his son was so unhappy and that he and Soledad hadn't been able to see it.

"Matt…" he began, rubbing the back of his head. "Why didn't you tell us you were feeling this way?"

"You were too busy with the kids," he mumbled, burying his face in his knees.

Jacob sighed, and, realizing that the only way to communicate with his son would be the complete and honest truth. The redhead laid back onto the two inches of snow, staring up at the brightest star in the sky, Sirius.

"Did you know that your mother and I had tried to have children before you, Matthew?" Jacob said softly, his eyes stinging at he found the star of his friend's namesake, Rigel.

His son's sniffling stopped, and even though he didn't see him, Jacob knew that Matthew was staring at him.

"We started two years after we got married, twenty years old and just shooting off on our separate careers." He grinned softly. "I know you don't want to hear about us trying to have a kid, you know, the whole _making_ the kid thing (Matthew gagged)."

Rubbing his nose, the redhead continued, the bad memories surfacing to his head; he hadn't thought about these events since Matthew was born.

"Your mother was pregnant twice before you, Matt," Jacob continued, his voice painfully soft.

"Everyone was excited as hell the first time, because it would have been the first grandchild." He paused as he tried to regain a calm voice, his watery eyes betraying him. "We lost her, just three months in."

He heard his son release a sad sigh, and in the next second Matthew was lying on his back, next to his father.

"After about a year, we were pregnant again. Everyone was a bit wary this time, and it was good that they were." He sighed. "This took only two months."

Matthew sniffled beside him, and Jacob reached out to run his hand through his son's curls, remembering the day he was born and the emotions that had been spurred.

"When you were born, Matt," he continued, his voice wavering. "It was probably the happiest and scariest day of my life. You were premature, no one knew if you were going to survive…how cruel of a joke would that be to let us hold you and then have you taken away so quickly?

"But…you weren't, Matt. You're here, you're my boy." He turned his head towards his son, not caring about the snow that was freezing his cheeks. "You're not just Jacob Weasley's son, you're an amazing gift to this family, and I hope you realize that now."

Matthew continued to look up at the sky, but he nodded slightly, his eyes shining in the moonlight. Jacob's gaze turned up to the half moon, thinking for a second that Rigel's father was lucky to have that type of moon on Christmas Eve.

"I want to go to Hogwarts," his son's small voice said as he sat up, wiping his eyes.

Jacob sat up as well, not bothering to wipe the snow or tears away. Matthew sent a small smile towards his father, and rolled his eyes playfully. Jacob stretched out his arm and pulled his son towards him, around his shoulders.

"It'll be fun, you'll get to take your O.W.L.s…don't worry, Nana will help."

Before he could explain what O.W.L.s were, he was cut off when the front door slammed open, Ron Weasley in the lead with a pair of keys jangling in his hand.

Behind him came Anthony and Delaney's husband, and they were both supporting his littlest sister as she cringed in pain. Hermione rushed out behind them, waving towards the two,

"She's going in to labor! We're heading to St. Mungo's by car! Meet us there!"

Anthony stood by the door of what St. Mungo's had dubbed, _The Weasley Ward_. It was the largest waiting area in the hospital, built especially for large families, though everyone was aware that it was because of the Weasley's habit of bringing _everyone_ when a new baby was being born.

It was crowded in the room, but everyone was comfortable in a seat of their own. He watched as Joaquin and Will tried to play a hand game Caitlyn was teaching them, but the two boys found it much more entertaining to hit each other in the face, softly, of course.

Pansy was fussing over her granddaughter's hair, much to the dismay of the girl. Taylor watched on with a grimace, and Draco laughed, nudging his daughter in an attempt to keep her calm.

Brian had arrived with his two children, six year old Nathan and four year old Li Ming and he and Jacob were now talking Quidditch, like always. The children were playing Exploding Snap, as others watched anxiously for their turn.

Anthony's sleeves were rolled up as he leaned his head against the doorway, extremely tired because of the busy week that had followed the announcement of Amelia Bones' retirement (much to his dismay, instead of giving him the vacation they promised, he was sent to complete all of the court details she had left behind).

Just as his eyes were drooping shut, a familiar voice called out his name. Anthony's weary glance found Rigel Lupin trotting towards the Weasley Ward, a large smile on his face.

He worked with Anthony in the Ministry, as one of the founders of the P.A.D.F.O.O.T. (Protecting All Domesticated Fauna Of Our Terrain). Rigel's cheeks were flushed, and a giddy smile was playing on his lips as he grabbed the redhead's forearm and dragged him away to a quieter area.

"What's up, Rigel?" Anthony asked, clearly perplexed with the odd smile on his friend's face.

"Amelia retired, right?" Rigel began, gripping his former roommate's upper arms tightly. Anthony nodded, wondering if Rigel had been living under a rock for the past week. "She retired from a high position, right?"

"What are you getting at?" Anthony groaned, his eyes widening with confusion. Rigel's grin just grew, and he gave the redhead's arms a bigger squeeze.

"People in high positions have _power_, Anthony, they have the power to _change things_."

"Like what? What are you getting at, Rigel?" the redhead exclaimed, exasperated with his friend's dubiousness.

"_Anthony_, she chose _you_ to be her replacement! You're the _Head_ of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!" Rigel explained with an excited voice, jumping with excitement.

Anthony's knees wobbled slightly and he was thankful that his friend had such a strong grip on his arms. _Head of…the _HEAD OF _one of the biggest departments in the ministry, if not _the_ biggest…this is tremendous, life changing, all of my hard work…_

"You know what this _means_, don't you?" Rigel asked, letting go of Anthony so the redhead could slide down into a chair. The spectacle wearing man shook his head, staring at his shaking hands. "You're a shoe-in for Minister."

"_What_?" the redhead shouted, then quickly covering his mouth because of a glare a passing Healer sent him. Anthony grabbed Rigel's wrist and pulled him down into a seat next to him. "Wha-why would you think _that_?"

"All the Heads are automatically nominated for the job," Rigel began, sounding as if he had memorized all of these facts. "Your grandfather has already announced that this was his last term, so in four years, you'll be experienced enough for the others to see you as strong competition. _Amelia Bones_, a highly praised and respected official hand picked _you_ to be her replacement! Anthony, no one has done that in _years_, polls are already showing that you have a considerable lead--"

"Wait a minute, _polls_? They're already starting elections?"

"Not officially, but _yeah_, Anthony, as long as you don't kill anyone, you have a ton of support behind you!"

The redhead stared at his friend with eyes that could not seem to comprehend all of this new information. _Me? The Minister of Magic? I haven't been working here that long…but hell; I _have_ done a lot…oh…bloody hell… _

His mind drifted off to the many times he had played in his grandfather's office, watching and listening to all the work he had to do and wanting to be just like him.

"You sure know a lot about this," Anthony said softly, still in awe. Rigel grinned and clapped his friend in the shoulder,

"Hell, _someone_ has to be your campaign manager!"

The two shared a laugh and were about to divulge into the deeper bit of politics, when a flustered Marcus O'Keefe rushed towards them, his face red and eyes wide. Anthony and Rigel knew what his expression meant, and stood up to greet the new father.

It was a little more than an hour later when the Weasleys were finally able to see the newest edition to their family. Delaney had fallen right to sleep, and Marcus, from either excitement or exhaustion, dozed off in an awkward position on the couch in his wife's room.

Immediate family had the first row as some nurses carried in babies, and Taylor kept cooing with each new one, reminding Anthony with every detail of their two pregnancies.

"Remember Delia? And our bet? I _knew_ she was going to be blonde, I just knew it!" Taylor said with a giggle, nudging her husband in the ribs.

"Yeah well, we're the only ones without a redhead, driving me a bit mad," Anthony joked, wrapping an arm around her.

"Well…I bet the next one will have your hair," she whispered, looking up at him with shining eyes. Anthony nodded, but it took him a second to notice how his wife was looking at him. When he did, a silly grin slid onto his face,

"We're…?"

She nodded and threw her arms around his waist, embracing him tightly. 

"Oh look!" Jacob exclaimed, earning a 'hush' from a passing Healer, "Here they come!"

"_They_?" the rest of the family asked, and with a collective gasp, they noticed the set of redheaded twins that were wheeled in.

Robin and Ronan O'Keefe slept peacefully in the little baskets the Healers brought them in. In pink and blue, they looked absolutely _gorgeous_, and all the Weasleys in the hall could do was 'coo' and 'aww'.

Jacob swung his arm around Anthony, grinning wildly,

"World, say hello to the _new_ Weasley twins."

A/N If you are reading this: THANK YOU! Some of you have been following this story since the beginning, and all I want to do is thank you for the support, the reviews, and the critique! I started this story the September of my 11th grade year in high school, and now I'm finishing it two days before I graduate

It was all worth it, thank you for making Jacob and Anthony and all of their friends part of your lives. They mean the world to me, they are just as real as Harry and the rest of JK Rowling's world.

I've revised this story a few times, and you can catch new scenes and a better story over at Schnoogle. Thank you for reading this far, I hope you've enjoyed the twins' journey as much as I have.


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